DREDGING ON THE WAIPORI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2239, 28 January 1897, Page 22

DREDGING ON THE WAIPORI.

Another new dredge has been lately added to the small fleet already working on tho Waipori River. The dredge, which was constructed for Messrs M'Neil and party, had. a trial run on Friday afternoon of last week, when everything went without; a hitch. The drrdge was running until 5 p.m., and so satisfactory was ths test that it was decided to start working shifts on the following Monday morning, while in the meantime a dam was to be put in to raise the water floating the dredge sufficiently high to allow of convenient swinging room. The dredge is built in accordance with the latest designs, aud although it is not quite so large as some of those already at work the arrangement and class of the machinery cannot, itisclaiined.be surpassed on any dredge iv the colony The hull is built of kauri, with hardwood frames and the deck and tumbler framing are niide of red pine. The con etrucbiou of the hull differs materially from that of any other dredge hul l . While its strength is such that it would carry, fully double the weight of ma-hinery that it has to bear, it has noh"g^i:ig masts or other appliances to prevent it from bending or twisting The eugine ia one of Marihall'K 10 horse-power nominal compound engines, capable of working to 40 horse-power. The boiler is one of Marshall's 14 horse-power Britannia or dredge boilers, and carries 1401b

of steam. Both engine and boiler were imported by Messrs M'Neil and party, and supplied to Messrs Morgan and Cable, the contractors who built the dredge. The buckets have a capacity of 3 cubic feet each, and have been made of considerable strength. The ladder, which is also very strongly constructed is 45ft long, and is capable of drctdging down to 25ft below the water surface— a depth which should be amply sufficient for any ground within the claim. The water is raised by one of Tangye's lOln centrifugal pumps, which, throws an immense volume ofr water with apparently little power. Tho condenser is sat on end on top of the centrifugul pumping. This forms a very couvenient arrangement, for the air pump can be set upon deck, where it is easily got at in the event of repairs being necessary. The whole arrangement of the machinery is, in fact, convenient, for it is all above deck, where it can be readiiy seen and got at. The wlule of the gearing is very simple, and iR said to be as strong as that on any dredge working on the Clutha River. The "winches ure somewhat similar to thosu on the Ngapara dredge at Alexandra, but are stronger in the gearing, and are driven from' the main engine instead of having a separate winch fnsine The gold boxes consist of a long sluice box, 4ffc wide,, fitted with perforated plated and ripple*, and a return box at the tail end. There is neither a screen nor an elevator, for an elevator is not required on the cuuparatively »hallow ground at the Waipori, and the sluicebox seems to be tha 3yatem generally used on the Waipori River. Me ! srs Morgan and Cable, of Port Chalmers, were the engineers who built; the dredge, and th»y have been warmly congratulated upon the . faithful way in whioh they have carried out their contract, and on the highclass work they hive put into it. Messrs Knewstubh Rro». built the pontoons under contract with Messrs Morgan and Cable, and performed their work very creditably. The plans and specifications of the drrdge were prepared by Messis Cutten Bros., c insulting engineers, of Duneiin, who 'deserve great credit for the exceedingly simple and well arranged dredge they have designed. There are many points of improvements in the dreige, and after the trial run it iv confidently wxp°.ct'ed that it will be oae of the most economical to work in the colony. Messrs M'Neil and party are » combination rf six practical miner-, who intend working their dredge themselves. • Th"y are an enterprising set, and certainly deserve to reap the reward of their pluck, for it is no small undertaking for six men to put in a plant worth close upon The general opinion in the di&trtct is that the claim is quite as good as that of the Upper Waipori Alluvial Sluicing Company, but oven should it only yield on the average half as much gold as the latter claim yields it will prove a good investment for the owners. Several claims below that on which thia dredge i 3 have been held for some time, aud the holders are only waiting to learn the result of the operations of M'Neil and patty before,- it i 3 hoped, putting other dredge 3on the river.