RIMU NEW DREDGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 November 1930, Page 10

RIMU NEW DREDGE

DRIVING THE FIRST RIVETS. [.OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] HOKITIKA, November 24. Good progress has been made with the assembling of the Mammoth dredge on Rimu Flat, which is to replace the structure now in operation and which, during the past ten years, has shifted such a large extent of country. The act of driving the first rivet was made the occasion for an informal ceremony on Saturday afternoon, when the Mayor (Mr G. A. Perry) and several representative citizens were present. Mr Arch McLaren, who is in change of the work for the contractors, the Hansford Mills construction Coy., Ltd., had everything in readiness for the function and the Mayor drove the first rivet. Then followed the general manager of the Rimu Gold Dredging Coy. (Mr Radford), Mr F. Lewis, the dredge manager and other members of the party. The apparatus electrically driven, was tricky and each attempt drew forth considerable banter. The weight of steel in the new structure approximately is 700 tons and with the exception of a few castings, is of British manufacture. The weight of rivets required to hold it together, is 60 tons, and these will be driven by twelve squads of rivetters, each squad consisting of three men. The length of the hull will be 118 feet, width 56 feet, depth of hull 11 feet, depth of digging ladder 103 feet, between centres, and weighs 50 tons. The new spud is 56 feet long and weighs 30 tons. The stacking ladder is 145 feet long and weighs 24 tons. Provision has been made for the extension of the digging ladder to 133 feet; an extra portion will be fitted at the bow, when this extension is made. The whole of the hull has been fabricated and fitted together in Wellington, dismantled and shipped to Hokitika via Greymouth. The stacks on which the hull is being assembled are 6 feet high and placed at the edge of the dam ready to receive the completed dredge. The huge pieces of sheet steel are placed in position by two cranes, 10 tons and 5 tons, all worked by electrical energy. The dredge will be launched on five ways. It is expected that shortly some 60 or 70 men will be employed in the work of assembling.