1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1897-98.
2 of food-grain to the subordinate establishment, and to econo- REVIEW BY SECTIONS.
3 mies effected during the year by the postponement of works. PANJAB MINES.
4 The net revenue of the Division was higher than that of
5 1896-97 by Rs. 3,54,870, than that of 1895-96 by Rs. 1,07,296,
6 and than that of 1894-95 by Rs. 8,26,482.
7 13. The work done in the mines of this Division during the 5,Work in. the Panjab
8 year may be briefly described as follows :—. ; :
9 The Mayo Mine.—The excavation work done during the — The Mayo Mines.
10 year was as shown below :—
11 Forward work vee tee ave eee 288,418 cubic feet.
12 Roof work Sei See eee sea 109,741 ditto.
13 Floor work «. 4,052,059 ditto,
14 The high proportion of floor work indicates that the mine
15 is capable of producing very large quantities of salt. The
16 mine now extends over an area with an extreme horizontal
17 length, measured parallel to the strike ofthe strata, of 2,688
18 feet ; and an eXtreme breadth, measured parallel to the dip, of
19 1,374 feet. Roughly, the mine is about halfa mile in length
20 by a quarter of a milein breadth. lts greatest vertical depth,
21 measured from the highest to the lowest points in ordinary
22 workings. is 4034 feet ; 273 feet passing through the two salt
23 seams known as Bagi and Sajiwal, and 1304 feet through marl
24 into the lowest known scam of Pharwala. This last salt seam
25 has been but little worked as yet, and that not far from the
26 surface. It has been hardly worked at all for some years past,
27 for the reason that, following the dip, the strata fall at an angle
28 of 45° to the northward (30° west of north), and therefore this
29 seam is very low in the hill at the point in that direction to
30 which excavation in the other seams overlying it has now been
31 carried. The mine hill rises to a height of 700 feet above the
32 level of the bed of the Khewra gorge at the miners’ village.
33 Regular excavation has now reached an extreme height of
34 273 feet above, and a greatest depth of 1304 feet below, the
35 level of the gorge bed. The direction of progress is now
36 nearly all downwards. To the eastward, horizontal extension
37 is still practicable, and is, toa slight extent, in progress, but
38 only with a view of opening out a reserve for the future. The
39 dangerous condition of that partof the old Bagi mine, which
40 was worked before the present scientific system of mining was
41 introduced, prevents extension westwards, at all events until a
42 much deeyer level than that at present touched has been
43 reached. Towards the south, the higher levels of the hill were
44 practically worked out twenty-five years ago, and very little
45 extension in that direction is practicable. Northwards, there
46 is salt in the hill, overlying the Bagi seam, and at a level
47 higher than any yet worked. -This was explored twenty years
48 ago, and was then left as a reserve. This salt was opened out
49 recently, but it was found to be inferior in colour, and the
50 workings were closed. It is possible that better salt may
51 exist in the lower levels, and this will be tested. At present,
52 we obtain our supply of salt from the Bagi and Sajiwal seams,
53 and these continue to be very fine. Inthe higher levels, the
54 Sajiwal seam is 60 feet in thickness ; in the lower, the seam of
55 marl, which divides the Bagi from the Sajiwal seam, dies out
56 altogether towards the west, and there the two seams combine
57 and form a solid stratum of most excellent rock salt 250 feet in
58 thickness. Towards the east also, where the two seams are
59 still separated by a stratum of marl (which, however, is thin-
60 ning out at the lower levels), the Sajiwal seam is 60 feet thick.
61 The Bagi seam comprises two strata of salt, 90 feet and 30 feet
62 in thickness, with a stratum of marl between them. This marl
63 ( 9 )