DREDGING UPON THE KAWARAU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 19

DREDGING UPON THE KAWARAU.

(By Our Wakatipxt Correspondent.) Before proceeding to deal with the claims upon the Kawarau seriatim it will be well to^ dispose of a few items having a general bear 1 * ing upon, dredging upon the Kawarau. COAL. ~ , : '■'■ The question 'of first importance in dredging is coal. In this respect the Kaw^arau is singularly blest. Since the early days of the district, now more than 34 years old, Mi Dooley acquired coal mining rights at Deep Creek, Kawarau. The mine supplied the quickly-growing demand for coal for some time, fuel of other descriptions being scarce and dear. A splendid body of coal was soon discovered to exist, of a quality well adapted for steam-raising, as well as domestic purposes, ranking with the best of Otago lignites. Other discoveries of equally valuable seams followed, and competition, when once started, soon resulted in a more or le,Bs desultory working of the mines, owing to the endeavour 'to produce coal at the lowest possible rate. This had as its natural consequence the mixing up of the mines, leading to an intermittent supply. That coal mining at Kawarau has been in a languishing state of late, therefore, is not owing to scarcity of coal nor its quality, but is simply clue to the injudicious way in which the 'mines were worked. This is now about to be altered. As the result of recent negotiations one of the mines, M'Cale's, has been formed into a company with a sufficient capital to open and work it on a systematic plan. TELEPHONE OFFICE. Another item affecting dredging at Kawarau is the want of a telephone office at Gibbston. The nearest telegraph office being Arrowtown, at at distance of 10 or 12 miles, is not accessible enough. The surprise is that the department has not seen fit to accede to the demands made by the inhabitants seme time ago. No less than 10 or 12 dredging companies, and probably more, will be dependent on the office at Gibbston, when established, and its establishment j can only be a question of time, nor can it be much longer delayed. Independent of the**" dredging activity there i is a sufficient number of ramilies settled near Gibbston to create enough business to ensure the department against loss. There is also a word to be said on the subject from a humanitarian point of view. As need scarcely ha

pointed out, there is no doctor nearer thai£ Arrowtown, and in case of families this is no| a particularly reassuring state of things, and when no"', with -the activity in dredging ths ■ risks fro. . accident are added, other considers, tions than that of finance enter into the case. EXPRESS COMMUNICATION. Up to a few weeks 'ago Cobb and" Co. 's coacK supplied the only communication with the outej world. The Yankee waggon also wended itn slow and toilsome way in a pretty nunieroui succession. But something between the twc« has long been wanted, and this want is nov supplied by Mr James Chalmers, who runs a well-equipped express with a reliable team, thai' would do credit to any road, at regular intervals between Frankton and Cromwell, connecting at the former place with the Lake Wakatipu steamers, and at the latter with Tonkin's express, so tthat a complete and efficient service has been established on the round tour ot' Otago, through all the dredging centres. This will enable parties to obtain parts of machinery, general stores, and all odds and ends in the shortest possible time. - This service (•only requires to beknOwn to be liberally patro^ nised, and is sure to prove a boon to its patrons. EXPLANATORY. The following notices are compiled chiefly from a directly practical point of view, discussing, so far as it is possible for a newspaper ; article "to do '.so, the chance^ of success of dredging companies' taken individually,' and-,all .items affecting -the dredging -industry in the -actual prosecution of -work.,generally. • All .minute descriptions of machinery, mention of ' designers, consulting engineers, builders, furnishers, foundries, etc., etc., have been carefully omitted," as the general public take absolutely no interest in such information, and those., concerned with such matters will have been •fully informed in this respect long before this article comes into their hands. Besides, the ground has been gone over so frequently and so exhaustively in the columns of the Otago Daily Times and Witness that it would be " damnable iteration" to go into this part of the subject again. From the following notices it will be seen that dredge-building has been reduced, with some exceptions, to an almost slavish copying.of one and the same model, and to describe every dredge in full would be equal to a Thibetan priest's method of repeating prayers. He constructs a wheel for the purpose, into which t-U» prayers of the faithful are put, every revolution of the wheel being duly charged for, cash in advance. THE MEG AND ANNIE DREDGE. The situation of this dredge, at the time of my visit, was a few hundred yards above Cobb and Co.'s stables, about three miles below Victoria bridge, where their coach changes horses after • leaving Arrowtown. The dredge «is an. entirely new one, and has been at work, since" .the beginning of September last, giving the greatest satisfaction" in every respect, the gold returns included. For the ten weeks, from September 17 to November 17, gold to the amount of £2885 18s was obtained, an average of nearly 730z. per week. " , This is a record performance in dredging in. Otago for a new dredge, and comes doubly , welcome, as it was scored under much doubt, not; to say misgivings— first, on account of the unproved nature of the river as'io its dredgeability,' and next as to. the doubtful presence or absence of the gold. It should be borne in mind that about two years ago the premier dredge on the Upper Kawarau failed to meet with payable; gold, prospecting the river so low down as the Nevis Junction without success. The company, therefore, had reason for anxiety ; but that is now passed. The appearance of the* river for a considerable distance upstream is* .equally as- promising as the ground that has been worked; indeed, the "chances, are that ifc will improve as the dredge gets niearer to th« mouth of the Nevis, which, theie can-, be rodoubt, was one of the main feeders of the Kawarau. Bottom is touched at a depth of from 30."-, t<s 35ft, and the ladder being 68ft long, it will be seen that the dredge is not only well able to cope with the- work it has to do, but could■easily reach a further depth of 10ft or more. Eut it is not likely that'it will be required, the chances being that the bedrock will rise afe a lesser angle' than the water level of the river; so that the further upstream the dredgo gets the shallower the depth of the bedrock will be. The bottom is soft, of clayey consistence, offering no obstacle to the dredge buckets. Tha gold can, therefore, be easily taken up, and! if it were necessary the buckets could go deeperinto it than is now found sufficient. The engine, of 16 h.p., and the boiler, of 25 h.p., are those usually met with in dredges — Marshall and Sons. Kawarau coal is used, and gives every satisfaction. The pontoons are •105 ft long, with an addition of 10ft. The buckets have a capacity of 6 cubic feet. The dredgemaster, Mr D. J. M'lntosh, has ,been connected with the claim since it was marked out, and supervised the building of the pontoons and the erection of the machinery, being himself a practical blacksmith. '- A WARNING. Joining the, Meg and Annie was a piece of spare ground, /which was taken up only the other day. Next" in order comes the Grand; Junction, extending partly up the Nevis River. It is still in its early stages of "inception, and! at the time ofvmy. visi;fc there was nobody on. the. ground to give me -Information about thecoinpany. I*'qe. rMeteorV claim- folldjvs next; then comes the Kiwi 'claim, and then another piece of spare ground, which was recently taken, up. The river bed comprised in these claimswas more or less prospected by the Victoria^ Bridge dredge about two years ago. It would, be advisable that the parties concerned should club together, and thoroughly prospect the river with Osborne's boring apparatus, which proved so successful in the Vulcanic claim, before any of them go to the expense of putting a dredge on the river. The prospecting dona by the Victoria Bridge dredge extended over the whole distance from the present Meg ancl Annie up-stream to above the Victoria bridge. At the time of starting work, or shortly before, a slip had come into the river, blocking back water and tailings, thus by an unknown number of feet increasing the depth of the ground to be dredged. When wprk 1 was begun it was under the disadvantage of the dredge having no elevator, and it was also found that in other respects the dredge was not equal to the work it had to do. The consequence was plain. Although the river was dredgeel to a depth of 40ft, and perhaps upwards, bottom was touched only in places far apart, but in some cases at least with satisfactory results, as much as loqz being obtained off U very small piece of bottom. After a considerable time of fruitless work its was decided to stop operations and wind up the company. The above presents as true a statement of the affairs of the doings of this company as it is possible for an outsider to arrive at. This somewhat extended exposition of a. mining miscarriage is made for the purpose of dissipating an. impression that has got abroad

■to' the effect that the Victoria Bridge dredge bad worked a large part of the Kawarau, and tad to give up because no gold -was found, J ana-that.the two or .three miles of the river between Victoria bridge and the Meg and 'Annie claim, were worthless. The dredge that flid the work failed through being unable to perform what it had to do, and not' through the absence of gold. The truth requires only io be known' to" serve as a guide arid a warning to, parties who now hold the ground, and save /them from falling into the same mistake. > The Kawarau Consolidated Company is the first claim above Victoria bridge, and includes ithe Nevis Bluff Falls. The company bought jthe pontoons of the defunct Victoria Bridge (Dredging Company, and the machinery is •arriving on the ground. The Gibbston Company joins the above, and is --about making a start. Thj3 contract for .building the pontoons has been let, the timber foi which is arriving upon the ground. ■ THE MERKIMAC COMPANY is the next in order, and is the sister boat j fii the Meg and Annie, resembling the latter (in "every respect. The depth of 'the original ground at the point haa been increased to from 40ft to 45ft, owing to the river backed up at the •2Tevis Bluff to a depth, of about 20ft or 25ft. The dredge has been at work for about a fortnight, and for the first week obtained 9oz 7dwt of gold, got under great difficulties. The rriverv v er ■was running high ail the time, owing to the recent wet weather, and as a natural consequence there was a large increase in the quantity of travelling tailings. From this, taken together with the great flepth the dredge has to work, it will be seen, that only a small" piece of ground could be worked in one week, so that the return of 9oz tfdwt 'mgy be considered touching the payable point. . The pontoons .are" 105 ft long, with a 10ft extension, having a total beam, of 35ft. The Marshall and Son's engine works vp v to a. pressure of 1401b- per aguare inch,~ and the boiler by the same makers is 25 f horse-power. The screen is 30ft long, and sft in diameter, and'the gold apparatus 'consists of the ordinary tables, ■ of which there- are five, corresponding in width ■with tho : length .of the 'cylinder, and are 15ft in' length.-- A shoot carries* off the 7 stones from the cylinders, ancfr is about? to be fitted with Tipples to catch any nuggets that would, on account of their size," not find their way through the perforations in the cylinder. The buckets,- of 6 cubic feet contents, having ! to go down to a depth of from 40ft to 45ft, it I gtands to reason that machinery and everything ! else is working under considerable strain. ! "Yet, for all this, everything works like clockIvork, and there is a minimum of vibration. Here we have a' practical illustration of the J effects of the falls at the Nevis Bluff. If the lalls were reduced, say, by 10ft or 12ft. the work j would be reduced by one-quarter, and the cost • of coal, labour, etc., at a corresx^onding rate. ,' Or, in other words, what now takes four ' taonths to do, could be done in three at a reduction of expense equal to one- quarter of the i whole cost. As arguments of this description are readily understood by the parties interested,- no more neeu. be said on the subject at present. Mr Duncan M'Lean, the dredgeniaster, is" fully alive to the advantages to be gained by the removal of the falls ; and, being a practical man, will no doubt render every aid to have the removed. . ' THE GALVANIC DREDGING COMPANY. The dredge for this company is in a forward State of erection. Like the Metallic, her sister boat, she is afloat in a sheltered corner of the Kawaiau River. The pontoons are 105 ft long, with a 26ft beam. The ladder is about 70ft long, calculated to reach to a depth of 45ft. The buckets are of 5| cubic feet contents. The "usual boiler, engine, screen, and tables are in 4heir assigned places. The engines and boiler are) in places, and so are the screen, top tumblers, and driving gear. Most of the machinery is on the ground, and the dredge i& expected to start work early next year. Mr Charles Rillstone is the contractor for the erection of the machinery. ~THE METALLIC DREDGING COMPANY. The pontoons and machinery of this dredge sre of exactly the same description as in the "ibove boat, but are in a more advanced state

of erection. The engines, boiler, 'ladder, screen, steam pipes, winches, and -minor parts are in position; and it is expected that she will be fully -fitted up and at work before the year is out. The erection of the machinery is also entrusted to Mr Charles Rillstone. THE ECLIPSE DREDGING COMPANY is the next in order. The pontoons are afloat, anjj parl of the fittings are on board, work having had io he suspended owing to the nonarrival of the boiler, which put in an appea-r-ance on the day of my visit. The dredge, it is estimated, will be at work before winter sets in. Next come 3 THE KAWARAU BRIDGE DREDGING COMPANY. • This dredge also lia3 been delayed for the arrival of the boiler, which, will be to hand in a few days. Other parts of the machinery are likewise turned out completed from the foundries, and a good deal of the machinery being on the ground, it is confidently expected that the dredge will be at work about March next year. THE ARROW JUNCTION DREDGING COMPANY have launched their pontoons, and the machinery being nearly all on the ground, it is reasonable to expect that the dredge will be at work in the early part of the corning year, January, most likely, making a record in dredge-building, the dredge being started and probably finished in less than six months.