THE FIRST DREDGE AT NASEBY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 18

THE FIRST DREDGE AT NASEBY.

(Mount Ida Chronicle, April 7.) A very large number of persons intimately connected with and warmly interested in the dredging industry, as well as of the general public, } assembled 'this afternoon by. the invitation of Guffie and party to witness the' ceremony of startma their newly-completed dredge, Everything

was found in readiness, the dredge in fact waiting for the people, to show them its capacity for usefulness. As the visitors arrived, such of tlieni as desired to do ao were shown over every part of the dredge,, which, we may remaik, was graced on j the occasion by the presence of a very large ; number of ladies. There were present, also, Mr j A. Burt (senior member of the firm of A. and T. .1 Burt, who have constructed the dredge), one of his sons, Mr Harding (his managing engineer). Mr W. H. Cutten (mining engineer), and other interested in dredging, both in this district aud elsewhere, including one from the North .Island. A description -of the dredge will be of - general interest. ■ The dimensions of Iha dredge" areas follow-: — ' Length, 70£t ; breadth -of beam, 25ffe>6in ; depth, sft ; width of well, 4ft 6iu., The hulVis very substantially built, the framipg bsing of hardwood : and the pi inking, gauntry, and tumbler framing ' of'ksuri.' It.is.of special construction to rest&t hogging and twisting. Between' the upper and lower stringers- is fitted a heavy inner skin, ■which is dumb'bolted from top to bottom through the stringers every 24in. The i^on'oops ar* braced tiansveraely with stiuts and diagonal • bracks at evei-y frame below the engine,' boiler, - and winches, and at every third frame at other part?. The hull is a most' satisfactory job, and is a credit to the sub contractors (Messrs Kuewstubb Bros.). The length of-lxdiler is 45ft. 'i he tumblera are Cutten's patent, and ure constructed with hard composite steel cheek-). The buckets have pacli a cap-<c'ty nf 3J cubic feet, and travel at the rate.of 12 buckets a minute. .When vanning full they will deliver over SO cable yards an hour.' They deliver into' a drop shoot- lined with steel bars leading into a revolving screen, 3ft 6in in. diameter and 16f s long. The pei-forationa- are graduated to suit the nature of the wash. 'Jhe tabks'are 12ft 6in by 13ft 6in ; side shoots 2ft 6in by &4ft — 12ft lined with perforated plates and 12ft with plain plates to resist wear. The stone fchoot from the screen is 22ft long, lined with steel baiy, and delivers about ISft over the stern. The side shoots being considerably longer deliver tbe fine ) stuff, and stack it, behind the heavy tail-.Dgs. All j shafts throughout are of mild steel with cist iron .< bearings having extra width of bearing surface.". ] The gearing is of special cast iron, shrouded to pitch line. The dredge is fitted with a 9in Tangye double standard centrifugal pump, and vertical - condenser, with, head valve instead cf foot valve j as generally used. The 1 - water from the pump passes through the condense)- to a sparge or perforated pipe that Pupplies the water for washing s the dire. The boiler is built by Kuston, Proctor, ; and Co. and is of a special design, 20 h.p. nominal, with extended fire box presenting largo grate area, making ib suitable for the i consumption of local lignite or timber. i The I engines are , by the same maker. They are j .compound surface condensing engines of 12-h.p. ' npminal, indicating SSJi.p.- actual. Thp "special '[ features of the engines are that tliey ar«» fitted i ■ with, automatic variable ccpajisioii gear controlled ■ by the governor,, and the stoam iackers ane Sept celear ojf- water, by a special ejector piovided with : the engine. 'This eugine has been specially de- f signed "and manufactured by llu?toD, Proctor, and j 00.-for gold dredging. JThe winehee are Uutten'a ! patent iadepsudent ciriven type, having six ] ■ barrels- four for side liars- 1 , one for h>sid Knee, < and one for laddt-r lir.e.. These barrels can all be ; worked independently by loeans of a friction"] clutch coutiolled by a lever, -ea<-:!/ wojked'by one i hand, which leaves the other band of the winch- j man free for starting, at- ppiijg, or reversing his engine. They are also fitted with powerful screw brake straps and have ratchets/and pawls as a further safeguard against accident. Tbe enginea j of the winch are vertical -pair couple h.p. type, ! fitted with link motion reversing ?ea.r, and are i capably of running at a speed of £09 revolutions i a "minute. Tha dredge i<t constructed from a j desigu by Messrs Cutten Eros., send the \rrrk has j been carried oul under their supervision. The i contractors are A^and T. Burt (Limited), and the : work was entrustea to them without competition. ; The d'edge reflects grent credit on all those concerned in its 'construction, and we hope the proprietors will have every rea.son to be satisfied with the confidence they plfieedan the contractors. i Shortly after half-psst 'J, when tbsre were several hundreds present, and when mosi of those w"bo desired to do so had examined the dredge : and gone ashore again, Mr Guffie, speaking frran i the deck, said : Ladies and Gentlemen. — On an i occasion of so much importance to the district as ; the present, when such a number of you are here ; to assist in the christening of lh<3 dredge, and to show your hearty goodwill for its euccsss, it | seems fitting that I should say a few words. We ; are sure we have for this undertaking the syrc- '. pathy of all throughout the district. — (Tlear, ; hear) The initiation of sucW an .undertaking is ( Lfrom beginning to end, both on its financial side ■ and in the" practical carrying out of it, fraught I with much anxiety. The management of a small i plant is-no doubt easy,* but to those having a large, ■ interest in such work as this the trouble and j anxiety are necessarily great. ' Now'that ifc ha? I advanced to the working stage we are hear!ily : thankful. Both in hull- and machinery, she jis fitted in every way with" the latest "jmi provemenfs that skill has been able to sug- ! gest and science devise, "so" that for' her size ! there is not a dredge in the country ahead of her. -The. contractor has from beginning to cud consulted our wishes in every possible way, has listened to any suggestions we had to make, and carried out his contract in such a friendly way as ! to avoid hitch on either side, and we have the ; utmost satisfaction with the completed work. [ Thirty-five years ago, when I came here, the I cradle was tha mode of saving the gold, and we puddled the stuff in a Uib. Then came tho days of races, followed by grouud sluicing. Later on came the. day of elevating by pipes ; and row we I have the modern dredge, superior in its efficiency and capacity for and economy of work to every ■ preceding mode of recovering gold. It has long i been a reproach to Naseby that she has been beI hind the times in her. methods of mining. I hope that that leproach will now be removed : and that the success of this .dredge may lead more to follow.— (Applause.) How faithfully the contractor has carried out his present contract those who have the experienced eye can easily see. — (Applause.) I have now to call on Mis 3 Guffie to chiisten the new vessel. The engines were now set agoing, and as the buckets mounted with their load Miss Guffie, .thiowing the conventional bottle of champagne j with better aim than most of her sex can attain to, broke it appropriately on one of the buckets, and christened the new gold-winner THE MA.NIOTOTO. After the machinery had been stopped, Mr A. Burt said: Ladies and Gentleman,— -To the very kind remarks of Mr Guffie with regard to our firm •it now devolves on me to make a thort reply. When he came to us and told us what was wanted, explained the nature of the ground and the circumstances, and that no dredging had.been dove in tbe district, we got all available information with regard to dredging appliances fitted for such ground. Only five or six years ago, it must be remembered, the dredge was a very primitive appliance. One beside the modern machine^of today would scarcely be known as for the "same purpose—so'many improvements have been effected in that brief space of time. These improvements came to us in many instances from the miuers | themselves, thoughtful men^ who came to ■ town., with, suggestions for^ . improvements which their experience showed to be ; desirable. These ideas, embodied 'in and j proved tar successive dredges, have gradually

resulted in the vastly improved dredge of to-day. iln the course of the work any suggestions made - were listened-to, and if we were convinced they were right of course they were. adopted. I have I to congratulate on their enterprise the fiist syndi- ! sate which starts here with the modern dredge. ; They have my heartiest good wishes. I would •' 'Etroß^iy ddvi3e the people if they wish to profit; j by the dredges to keep the capital interest in these dredges iv the district. In proportion to the stuff treated a dredge does not provide so very much labour, and if the interest of the capital goes elsewhere there is not the greatest profit to the district from the presence of dredges. I have __ to thank Mr Guffie for the kind words he has spoken and for the cordial relations that have existed between us. Our wish has bsen to make as good a dredge as we could ; we are willing to have it tried on its merit 3. If it fulfils its purpose well we hope to get the credit ; if badly, we must stand the consequences.— (Applause.) - Mr Guffie then invited all those present to partake cf refreshments provided by the company. The success of " The Maniototo " was then drunk with enthusiasm in bumpers of champagne, and to those who so desired light refreshments were dispensed by Mrs Guffie and a'nutnber of friends. The dredge, which, we should say, has been constructed under the sup rinteDdence of Mr Buchanan. A3 foreman, had worked since the preceding night smoothly and well, and 'being now Again set agoinp, afforde-A to "many their_ first sight of a good winning dredge at work. It is but seldom that a dredge starts at once without Jbitch or hindrance, as this-has.done. We trust it is an omen of the future of the company. In ,terni3.of the contract, Ate&srs A. and. T. "- Burt run the dredge for the first, month. We ;learn that to-uight *he,is- going- smoothly and gold is showing well on the tables.' , '