Mr W Thomas and his son, of Cromwell were sluicing the river terraces of the lower Cairnmuir area, upstream of the Cornish Point foot bridge. The parties used this bridge to access their claim. In order to obtain water from the Bannockburn Creek for sluicing purposes, the company extended the Cairnmuir Company's water race to their mine. A pipeline and sluicing plant had been installed. Rock tailraces had been cleaned out and deepened. Opening out operations were undertaken in the shallow ground in front of the terrace deposit.

Sluicing and mining operations were carried out steadily when ever water was available.