30 HATCH : THE KOLAR GOLD-FIELD. 



feet a month ; but sinking is suspended during walling, which occupies 

 more time than the sinking, The greatest speed obtained in one 

 month was 39 feet. Four machine drills are used, The cost per foot 

 sunk for sinking and walling averages ^243 per foot ; but the shaft 

 has not yet been divided, nor has any pit work been put in. 



Rising". — The following is a good example of the cost of rising. 

 The rise, measuring 10 by 5 feet, was put up from the 1,060-foot level 

 to meet Oakley's shaft. Two machine drills were used, the average 

 rate of progress being 15*6 feet per month. The height reached at 

 the end of July 1900 was 109 feet; and the cost per foot averaged 

 £g ; the main items of cost being — 



White labour 

 Native labour 

 Explosives . 

 General stores 

 Compressed air 



for two drills 

 Total 



Shill 



ings per foot. 

 33'23 

 1 8-6 1 



2534 

 1988 



84'39 



Percentage 

 18-3 



10"2 

 . I40 



II'O 



46-5 





181-50 



IOO'O 



Driving; — is done either by hand or machine-drilling, the rate of 

 progress by machines being rather more than twice that by hand. 

 The work is always by contract, with or without bonuses. Driving 

 by hand-drilling costs the company, on the average, 36 shillings per 

 foot, the rate of progress being about 15 feet per month. The cost 

 of driving with machine drills, including the air supplied, is on the 

 average 44 shillings per foot, and the average rate of progress is 

 from 30 to 35 feet per month. The cost of tramming the deads from 

 the heading and hoisting to the surface averages about 2 shillings 

 and 8 pence per foot driven. 



Stoping — is paid by the superficial fathom (6 ft. x 6 ft.) up to a 

 stoping width of 6 ft. If over 6 ft. is stoped the contract is by the 

 cubic fathom. The price per fathom in an ordinary stope, say, of 

 4 ft 6 inches width, is about £3 per superficial fathom, contractors 

 purchasing their own explosives, steel, lights, etc., but timbering 

 being done by the company. Tramming the ore broken to the shaft 

 costs about 12 shillings per cubic fathom, or say, 8^d. per ton. 



