CHINESE SUCTION DREDGER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22632, 25 July 1935, Page 12

CHINESE SUCTION DREDGER

LARGEST SHIP OF HER KIND A new twin-screw suction dredger, the Chien She, built for the Whangpoo Conservancy Board of Shanghai Harbour, was launched recently at the Schichau shipbuilding yard of Danzig. The dredger was especially constructed for work on the " Fairy Flats," which are about 25 miles from the mouth of the Yangtselaang, and is, consequently, similar in most respects to a sea-faring vessel. The Chien She, said to be the largest vessel of her type in the world, has been delivered to her owners, and is now at work. While the vessel is under way, a trunk-shaped sucker, located amidships, is lowered until it touches the bottom of the sea. Mud thrown up by the sucker is then drawn through the trunk by means of a large centrifugal pump, located in the forecastle, and is transferred into the hold, which has a capacity of 54,500 cubic feet.

When the hold is filled the vessel heads out to sea.and dumps her cargo by means of 20 two-winged flaps built into the bottom of the hold, or by utilising the same pumps used to load her. Working in this way, the dredger is able to transport about 215,000 cubic feet of mud per 10honr day.

According to the Vacuum Oil Company, the Chien She is propelled by two tripleexpansion steam engines and the dredger pump by another engine of the same type. These develop a total of about 5000 h.p. The hull of the ship measures 37S feot long, 60 feet wide, and has a depth of 261 feet. When the ship was launched a great number of fire-crackers were set off by the Chinese in an effort to rid it of any evil spirits which might be linking therein.