THE DANGEROUS DREDGE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144359, 25 March 1914, Page 5

THE DANGEROUS DREDGE.

LOSSES AT SEA

The danger of going to sea in dredges is evidenced once more by tho case of the Posidonia, which left Fremantle on January 28 for Port Pine, and has not since then been heard of. The Argus, commenting on tho probable fate of tho Posidonia, says that this kind of craft is the most unseaworthy afloat. Dredges are extremely top-boavy, by reason of the heavy tipper’works over which the buckets travel, and their buoyancy is further reduced by the weight of the machinery, which not only provides the power to propel the dredge, but has to work tho endless chain of scoops. Their heaviness is such that only the air pockets with which they arc provided serve to keep them afloat. If water once gets into those the vessel is doomed. Tho dredge cannot rise to tho seas like an ordinary ship, hut plunges heavily along, wallowing m the troughs of the waves. There is no “life” in it. For these reasons dredges rarely cross tho ocean. Genvally those which have to come from Europe to Australia try to bug the ecast-line as much as possible all the wav. A year or so ago a Dutch dredge, thh Ml T. Appleton arrived at Melbourne from Holland. It bad followed I bo French coast along 1o (Ghaut, and then boldly ventured across the Bay of Biscay to Copy Fimsterre. thence feeling its wav cautiously round tbo Spanish coast into (he Alediterrareau. ami so to Port .Said. After pausing through the Sir r, Cana! it t'avollod slowlv clown the toast of Arabia to Perim. whence it struck northwards to the Indian coast, irom Heme to Colombo and across tho Bar of Bench! 10 the coast of Siam, through Ihe Malay Archipelago and the Dutch East !ndl”s to the Torres Straits and down the Queensland const to Brisbane. Between that port, aril Alolbon’nc the d-.-dee had to shelter several times, and when it finally reached AHI ourne i t V. :u nearly eight mouth., out from Holland. Sueh i reur.dn.bout vovago as that iust described is ncees'ary if great vi-h-s are to be avoided. On the more vent Mrrsnnio falalilt wnit-s. Of three dnde-s which in Oriebor, liv'd. Mt Durban for Geelorr. only one arrived. Scree time ago the Manchester, a bueltei dredge, left Lyttelton for Sydncv and di-appeared on the iw a'Toss. A man vd'o reeenlfy voyaged in a dredge from Dunr-din to Melbourne declared that nothing would indr.ee bjni to make another such trirp am! Ids deter im- , 'on is probably shared bv others who havo formed part of the crews of such vessels.