ELECTRIC DREDGE No. 3.

Otago Witness, Issue 2323, 8 September 1898, Page 19

ELECTRIC DREDGE No. 3.

(Cromwell Argus.) On Wednesday, 24th ult., the beach below Rowe's homestead at Kawarau Gorge presented quite an animated Two large dredges lay in the river, one partly covered by a shed as large as a public hall, the other with a bare deck from which rose the gantry and tumbler framing. The lower dredge, the Lady Ranfurly as she was christened by his Excellency the Governor, although her life-belts bear the legend " Electric No. 3," is at present being fitted out, and the bulk of the machinery is aboaul. The upper one i,s the Magnetic, ■which is a twin leviathan, being almost a counterpart of the Lady Ranfurly. At the time of our visit, 20 men were hard at work boring holes in thick iron, ri vetting, rolling ponderous and curious-looking iron wheels tip sloping planks, all as busy as bees, and some with smoke-begrimed faces that called up memories of Cumberland street at a quarter-past five. The Lady Ranfurly is 110 ft in length, but a staging at bow and at stern .increases the total deck length to 3 20ft. The pontoons are 13ft wide and 7ft deep. The well is sft, so that the total breadth of the craft is 31ft. The pontoons, which were built by Sutherland and Nelson, are of the best material. The stringers are of iron bark, the frame of hard wood, and the planking kauri. The ladder is 75ft from centre to centre, and weighs 10 tons without mount•h;ga. Tfce l>;u&&ls M'cigh 7cwt each, and

Lave a capacity of 5^ cubic feet. The pins measure 2^in in diameter, and eacli of the links weigh 841b, so that the set of four links weighs 3c\vt. Above the well is a i ravelling crane running from the tumbler framing to the gantry, 72ft, the object- of which is to enable boulders brought up from the river bed to be picked out of the buckets, run back to a line of rails near the engine, leading to a sliding door in the side of the building. The boulders can be rolled along the rails and dropped overboard. Tbiu piece of machinery is capable of getting a two-ton boulder out of the way. The engine is a 16 h.p. Marshall, and it is calculated that less coal will be used to fur-•.li-sh the driving power than is used on the L-lieelric No. 2 for a much less powerful engine. The engine room will have a ceiling, above which will be' a store room, and will he distempered throughout. The boiler was made by Jos. Sparrow, and Mr M'George is highly pleased Avith it. It is of a good design, and, as before mentioned, will not need much coal in proportion to the power supplied. The boiler casing is of a thoroughly up-to-date pattern ; beside the usual brick lining it has a silicate packing and as it rests not directly on the floor but on rails, the danger from fire is reduced to zero. There is a steam auxiliary winch to assist in working the dredge when Avorking about a large boulder. The pump is an llin centrifugal, capable of raising an abundance of water. The screen is 25ft long, and is driven by friction, not by cogged wheels, and Mr M'George set the three wheels and the screen itself in motion Avith his foot, shoAving how easily the thing ran. The tables measure 19ft x 17ft and are six in number. The croAvn Arheel Aveighs tAvo tons, • and that one fact Avill give an outsider an idea of Avhat dredging really is. There is an office for the accommodation of the dredgemaster, and above the office is a sleeping room for the Avatchman, for it 'is necessary to have someone ahvays on hand to Avatch over the dredge. The total cost of the dredge. AA'ill be close upon £8500, but as over 600oz per week Avas got by the Electric No. 1 immediately beloAV Avhere the Lady Ranfurly is being built, there is plenty of justification for the outlay. The dredge is not only fitted up Avith every necessary for dredging proper, but has, in addition, a lathe capable of turning any piece of machinery requiring turning. The lathe is a gap lathe, 9in centres resting on a 14ft bed. There is a poAver drilling machine and a , fitting bench. The Avhole of the machinery is coA'ered in by a roof going from side to side across everything, and the workmen Avill have plenty of room to move about, Avhich is not the case on most dredges. The elevator is 85, ft long, and is capable of stacking the tailings to a height of 35ft. The machinery has been put in position by Mr Alex. C. M'George, Avithout accident. Seven men have been employed constantly, and, when extra heaA'y work is on hand more men are put on. The Aveekly pay sheet of the Electric Company is at present over £80 per week. The Lady Eanfurly contains 200 tons of material, the cartage on Avhich, was about £500. She can lay claim to be the largest dredge at present on the riA T er, but her builder is of the opinion that she Avill be a dwarf beside the dredges of the near future. When in Avorking order the dredge Avill be an example of Avhat the dredging industry can do, and Avill be a monument to the skill and ingenuity of its designer, Mr F. W. Payne, and of its bnilders — Sutherland and Nelson, pontoons ; and the Messrs M'George, Avho had charge of putting on the machinery. We Avish her every success, and close Avith " Luck to Lady Ranfurly."