[These items are not part of the Isdale document, but are added for interest - E]
Thames Advertiser, Volume IX, Issue 2330, 30 May 1876, Page 3
OHINEMURI
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)
May 27.
Having heard that the flood had carried away a portion of the Karangahake battery flume, and that crushing was likely to be delayed for a considerable time, I went up to see what amount of damage had been done. I found that about two chains of the fluming where it connects with the dam, had been carried clean away. Fears had been expressed some time ago that it would not stand, as it was put up right in the centre of the gorge, so as to avoid some heavy rock cutting which will now have to be done. The dam itself is as firm as a rock, and the rest of the fluming is in perfect order, so that if the proprietors will put on a good number of men the erection of the new portion in the proper line might yet be completed as soon as the tail race. The contractor for the latter, Mr Coutts, thought last week that he would soon complete the job, as he was then in good country, but now the boulders are as bad as ever, and he will not likely be finished for another fortnight. A few hours' work will finish the battery so far as the present contractor is concerned, but I notice that there is no provision made for washing blankets. Messrs Souter, Darrow, and others are expected up on Monday, and they will probably give orders for pushing on the repairs to the flume. In the mine, Mr Cornes is still engaged putting in the drive on the reef southward in the low level, and is sinking a winze from the upper level to meet it. The reef is looking well in both places, The Pai-o-Hauraki and Mormon City joint tunnel is into tough country, and a keg of powder has been brought up to facilitate matters.
The All Nations people have made a start. At present operations are confined to trying to pick up the strike of the Karangahake reef, as they have an idea that the reefs already to hand are distinct reefs, and that the other has yet to be found. According to its strike in the Karangahake low level it should be found somewhere about the centre of the ground.
The road to Mr Wick's battery site is now almost finished, and I hear that Mr Marsh is going to give Mr Wyatt a hand with the heavy portions of the machinery. Mr Jury, the contractor for the battery, is getting on first-rate, but the bad weather has hindered the sawyers very much, and the planking for the flume is not coming in sufficiently quick. However, Mr Wick, who supplies the timber, will put on more sawyers so as to get the work done in contract time. Since the late flood we have had some very heavy showers from the westward, but the wind is now southerly, and I hope we shall have a spell of fine weather. It is expected that the Morning Light two-stamper battery will be ready to start crushing next week. Good stone is being got in the mine, and I have heard of some fancy prices having been offered for interests and refused.
[Last mention of Karangahake battery is in 19 August 1876]
Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4629, 5 November 1883, Page 2
FLOODS AT PAEROA.
Considerable Damage Done.
[By Telegraph.].
(from our own correspondent.)
Paeroa, This day.
The heavy rains of Friday and Saturday have done considerable damage. The fluming of the Karangahake battery has been carried away, and with it a large quantity of timber stacked at the battery. Three of the bridges on the Waihi road are carried away; and the communication is stopped. A large quantity, of timber lying on the landing at Paeroa, for Alfred Shepherd's new hotel at Karangahake was also swept away by the flood.
In crossing the Komata on Saturday, Mr F Cock had a narrow escape of his life. Mr Kiely of Waitekauri, who was following him, had to turn back. A large quantity of the Waitekauri battery fluming is carried away.
(FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.)
The flood of Saturday last, in the Ohinemuri district, was very severe. The Waitekauri bridge is blocked with timber, some of it higher than the hand-rail; and trees over fifty feet in length are lying on the upper side of the bridge. The flood at Owharoa was within two feet of the large flood of July, and the quantity of floating timber was larger. The fluming of the Karangahake battery at the head works, and where it crosses the Waitewhetu Creek, was completely carried away. At Paeroa the river rose seven feet in about a quarter of an hour. The small bridges on the Katikati road were moved from their position. No damage done to the fluming of battery at Waihi. All the large County bridges are safe.
AJHR 1887
Star of Hope Claim.—
Messrs. Waite and party, the owners of this claim, having obtained some very good returns from a small leader (2in. to 3in. wide) that they had found near the surface, are now driving to cut it at a lower level.
In the south end of this district the Mangakara claim has an area of seven acres. In the beginning of the year the works to connect the claim with the battery were completed. These were a large hopper for storage, a horse-tramway about 12 chains long, a winze 95ft. deep, and a shoot 100ft. long, also a self-acting incline-tramway 8 chains in length.
The battery, which was formerly known as Wick's Battery, has been removed from about a mile lower down the Mangakara Creek. It consists of nine head of stampers and three berdans. The height of fall of water from race is 157ft. The machinery is driven by a Pelton water-wheel 5ft. in diameter. In the claim a low level, which will give 140ft. of backs, has been driven 150ft. from the entrance, where it intersected the reef. From this the quartz is now bring stoped, and there is about 200 tons ready for crushing as soon as the present dry weather is over. The mine is wholly worked on tribute.
The New Zealand Mines Record
Vol 1 September 16, 1897. No.2
The Welcome and Young New Zealand Claims ranked next in importance to the Waitekauri Claim, and at an early stage in their history the "show" was so good that Mr. H. C. Wick built a ten-stamper battery on the Mangakara Creek, about two miles distant from the mines. Both claims furnished the battery with sundry parcels of ore, and one crushing from the Young New Zealand yielded as high as 20 oz. of bullion per ton. The Welcome passed a large tonnage of ore through Wick's battery, and the returns ranged from 1 oz. to 6 oz. per ton. Although the lodes in these two mines were very rich they were patchy, and after many ups and downs both properties were relegated to tributers, who made fair wages out of their ventures for several years.
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