GREY RIVER DREDGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 April 1938, Page 5

GREY RIVER DREDGE

PONTOON LAUNCHED There was a large crowd of people at Ikamatua on Saturday, to witness the launching of the pontoon for the Grey River dredge. Apologies were received from Hon. P. C. Webb, Minister of Mines, and Mr. A. Tyndall, Under-Secretary of Mines. Among those present were Mr. Anderson, General Manager, and Mr. Clarke, Works Manager of Anderson’s Ltd. (the contractors for the erection of the dredge), Mr. W. Radford, General Manager of the Grey River Dredging Co., Mr. H. Jones, who took options over the properties which comprise the dredging area taken up by the Companv: Messrs. T. Blackie, Nicholson and W. Jelly, from a dredging company operating at. Cromwell, Otago, and others interested in dredging throughout New Zealand. Most, pontoons for dredges are built in the pond, on timber, and all that is required to float the pontoons is to fill the pond with water, but owing to the land at Ikamatua being subject to floods, the pontoon had to be built on high land, skids being placed underneath for it to be slid into the pond. This was the largest, in New Zealand to be launched on skids, and great care had to be taken to see that the skidways were built parallel, so that the pontoon would run evenly into the pond. At eleven o’clock, the time appointed to launch the pontoon, Mrs. Radford, wife of the general manager, broke a bottle of champagne on the pontoon, and Mr. H. Jones cut the rope to release the triggers, but owing to trouble with the hydraulic jacks, the pontoon did not move until some two hours later, when it began slowly to slide down the wellgreased skidways to make a perfect launching, with hardly a splash as it hit the water.

All the officials of the various dredging companies present, spoke of the wonderful success of the launching. Messrs. Anderson and Radford both paid a tribute to Mi'. A. Davy, the supervisor, for the success ot the launching, also for the manner in which, he constructed the pontoon, under great, handicaps through being unable to secure sufficient skilled labour for the rivetting and welding of the plates on the pontoon, and adverse weather conditions. Mr. Radford stated that the construction work was accurate and good and he could not speak too highly of the work done Ly Mr. Davy. Mr. Davy paid tribute to the assistance given by the workmen under him.

The Grey River Dredging Company provided light refreshments on the ground, and Anderson’s Ltd. provided dinner in the Public Hall for the staff. THE MEASUREMENTS The pontoon, which is entirely of steel, was built alongside the Ikamatua station yards, an electric crane being used to lift the steel from the trucks on to the structure. The pontoon is 147 feet long. 65 feet wide and 11 feet deep, and weighs approximately 580 tons, requiring 30 tons of rivets in the construction. It is fitted with 30 watertight compartments, and when floated, draws two feet three inches of water. The dredge is expected to be completed and ready to start dredging by the middle of September next, providing electricity is available. The estimated weight of the dredge when completed is 1,800 tons, the length of ladder 109 feet, having 8 Obuckets. Each bucket weighs one ton 14 hundredweight, the capacity of each being 16 cubic feet. The dredge will be capable of.handling four and a-half million yards a year, or approximately 100 acres. The dredging area contains 1.700 acres. A ball was held in the Public Hall. Ikamatua, on Saturday night, under the auspices of the Ikamatua sports bodies, to mark the floating of the pontoon of the dredge, ’f’he ball was a great success, there being too large a crowd for dancing. The hall was decorated with coloured streamers.' The music was supplied by Marley’s dance band and Mr. 11. Steele was in charge of the floof A ladies' committee was in charge of the supper.