1872 Oct – Holtermann’s nugget & an earthquake

HILL END. [FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]

On Friday night last, the largest and richest specimen this colony has produced, I suppose, was taken from the claim of Beyers and Holtermann. It is really a wonderful one A SLAB OF GOLD ITS WEIGHT IS ABOUT 6½ CWT. and I believe I am within the mark in saying that THERE ARE 2 CWT. OF GOLD IN IT. I went, together with nearly the whole town, to look at it. The claim was like a fair, and a regular stream of people threaded the steep packing tracks leading down to it. On Sunday it was hung up for exhibition, and during the day hundreds, including many of the fair sex, went down to see it. At the same time that I went to look at this, Mr. Bullock, the manager, kindly revealed the treasures of the iron box, in which are specimens not so large certainly, but prettier to look upon. The monster is not alone in his glory; he has fellows bigger and richer below, I am told. He appears to form part of a lode rather than a vein, as no quartz seems to be showing. Nothing but mundic and a slate casing. Shortly before he was unearthed the township was startled by a severe shock of an earthquake, which is jokingly said to have thrust him up from below. The earthquake commenced a few minutes before 7(pm) and lasted over a minute, perhaps two. Its direction seemed to be from N.W. to S.W. Sitting at tea at the time, the first indication of it was a sound as of a heavy waggon passing by, the sound intensified into a shaking; each looked at the other; the old chimney began to rattle. Someone mentioned the word earthquake, a panic resulted, and a general rush was made to the door, regardless of overturned chairs and tables. The quaking seems to have been very generally felt, and everyone seems to have taken refuge in the open air from an expected visitation of bricks, plaster, and beams. Being curious to know what sensation was produced under ground, I questioned various men, and found that in every instance it was put down to something other than an earthquake. The most general opinion in each claim seems to have been that they were running a still in the adjoining claim. In the Undaunted shaft they thought that Rapp’s people were “going in” heavy. None as, far as I can discover, thought of an earthquake.

I suppose the great nugget will attract attention to the marvellous belt of veins traversing our hill once more, and for the information of those who know them not, I propose giving an idea of their number and position as they stand in Paxton’s claim, which may be taken as a fair standard in all on the same line. The main belt occupies a metamorphic slate dyke about 90 feet wide, and having a general direction of about 8° E. of N. On either side of this dyke, and separated from it by courses of diœrite, are other veins, to wit—on the E. Stevens’, the Frenchman’s, Rowley’s or Daddy’s, and others; on the W., Brandt’s, Gard’s or Eisenstadter’s, and others.

The Main Line: Commencing with Paxton’s, we find three veins occupying about 8 feet in width, together with the inclosing slate. This 8 feet is known as Paxton’s workings, and varies in width, having been as much as 16 feet wide. Seventeen feet E. of Paxton’s are three veins worked upon formerly by Paxton, and new the most easterly one, I believe, making a good show in the Rampant Lion, being 10 inches wide, and expected to go 6 oz. to the ton. Brown’s line seems to have cut out at the present depth. Forty feet west of Paxton’s workings is a vein known as Holtermann’s, because, I believe, that gentleman first got gold in it. This is the vein at present working in the Star of Peace, and giving good gold, more especially as it goes towards Dr. Fischer’s. Next in order, and about 12 feet more to the west, comes Krohmann’s workings, which are from ten to twelve feet wide, and not got through at that. People talk of our veins being narrow—granted; but see how rich they are, and how numerous.

Our Hill End correspondent informs us, by telegram, that most of the good stuff’ from Beyers and Holtermann’s claim has been crushed and over 5 cwt. of amalgam obtained. The monster nugget not yet crushed.

[The Sydney Morning Herald Friday 25 October 1872 p 3.]

A further report

There has been another large yield of gold in one of the wonderful Hill End mines, Messrs. Beyers and Holterman’s claim. Our correspondent thus chronicles the event: “On Friday night last, the largest and richest specimen this colony, has produced, I suppose, was taken from the claim of Beyers and Holterman. It is really a wonderful one, a slab of gold. Its weight is about 6.5 cwt. and I believe I am within the mark in saying that there are 2 cwt. of gold in it. I went, together with nearly the whole town, to look at it. The claim was like a fair, and a regular stream of people threaded the steep, packing tracks leading down to it. On Sunday it was hung up for exhibition, and during the day hundreds, including many of the fair sex, went down to see it. At the same time that I went to look at this, Mr. Bullock, the manager, kindly revealed the treasures of the iron box, in which are specimens not so large certainly, but prettier to look upon. The monster is not alone in his glory; he has fellows bigger and richer below I am told. He appears to form part of a lode rather than a vein, as no quartz seems to be showing nothing but mundic in a slate casing. In a subsequent communication, our correspondent again wrote respecting this claim: “The all absorbing topic of conversation is the result of Beyers and Holterman’s crushing. The estimated yield is between ten and twelve thousand ounces. The amount of amalgam hard squeezed and probably two-thirds gold, is about 8 cwt. irrespective of the monster specimen and those raised since its appearance. About 6 cwt. of amalgam is now being retorted, leaving 2 cwt. to be operated on. The nugget goes through tomorrow and a considerable quantity of stone, together with specimens, remains to go through. On Wednesday I went over the claim to see principally what was to come, as there was talk of another monster bigger than the first; and certainly there was every reason to expect one; over seven feet of what looked like a bar of gold lay glittering along the slope. On Friday this was taken down, but broke in the operation; so that, although extremely rich, it did not equal its predecessor in size. Gold can be seen all through the claim, and another cross-cut at a level considerably below the present rich workings, put through them to the west, has discovered another batch of veins calculated to go 6 oz. The wealth of the claim is great, and requires to be seen to be believed.

In another claim in the same locality, some good stone has been reached which is expected to go about six ounces to the ton. Paxton’s have lately finished a crushing of 66 tons, which yielded 1386 ounces of gold. At the same time that this stone was put through. 5 cwt. of pyrites and sand saved from the rich stuff crushed at Vickery’s, was heated in the amalgamating vessel, and gave 40 ounces of gold; this stuff had been heated two or three times previously, and was supposed to contain nothing of value. The crushing of stone from the Frenchman’s claim has gone better than was expected 58 tons yielding 110 ounces 1 dwt. 15 gr., or nearly 2 ounces to the ton. The claim is in first-rate working order, and the vein is found to be increasing in thickness. Seventy tons of Krohman’s stone were crushed to make room on his “plat” and yielded 479 ounces. The last rain flooded the Excelsior, on Sargeants reef, almost filling it with water; on baling it another small vein, almost all gold, was laid bare by the water running into Sargeants vein; there is some talk of crushing the stone now at grass, which is expected to go 30 oz. to the ton, but as something much richer is shortly expected, crushing will be deferred. A small quantity of stone from the Rose of England vein yielded at the rate of 21.5. oz. to the ton. Crushings from several other claims on the famous Hill have gone from 1 to 3 oz. to the ton. As might naturally be expected, the preliminary operations of sinking on claims which have been taken up comparatively recently are being pushed forward vigorously, the fabulous yields chronicled above stimulating the proprietors to put forward every exertion to reach the precious metal. Hickson, Creighton, and Beard’s appears to be one of the most productive claims on the Hill, 10 per cent, having been realized by the shareholders within the past three months.

[The Sydney Morning Herald Monday 4 November 1872 p 5]