LARGEST OF KIND IN NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 105, 28 January 1935, Page 8

LARGEST OF KIND IN NEW ZEALAND

New Gold Dredge For Use on Molyneux River FIRST PARTS NOW ON WAY FROM ENGLAND Dominion Special Service. Dunedin, January 26. A dredge which, when completed, will be the largest machine of its kind in New Zealand is being brought out from England and will commence operations on the Molyneux River toward the end of this year. The dredge is being built in England for Clutha River Gold Dredging Ltd. to the design of and under the supervision of F. W. Payne and Son, consulting engineers, London. It will bo assembled on the Molyneux River, near Alexandra, and the first shipment of about 140 tons of steel is already on its way to New Zealand by the Port Hunter, which is due at Dunedin on February 24. The rest of the material will be shipped as soon as it is ready. The following details, which have been received from Payne and Son by Mr. Robert Lee, mining engineer, Dunedin, give some idea of the size of the dredge. The machine is of steel construction throughout, electrically operated, and designed to dig 65 feet at an angle of 45 degrees. The pontoon is curved at the bow and'stern, and in the well end to enable the dredge to ride well in the current. It is 165 feet long by 44 feet wide by 11 feet 6 Inches deep. The deck plating is a quarter of an inch thick, and the sides and bottom five-sixteenths of an inch. The well plating is half an inch thick. All plating is reinforced where this is considered necessary. At the bow of the pontoon a forward platform has been arranged extending round the bottom tumbler. This acts both as a stiffening member to keep the pontoons from spreading, and also affords access to the ladder end for greasing, repairs, etc. Power will be obtained from a shore supply, but a 200 b.h.p. Diesel engine has been installed on the port side coupled to an alternator to supply auxiliary power m an emergency. Should the main supply fail at any time current from this auxiliary source will be made to synchronise with the main supply by means of regulators, and will feed the same switchboard. The winches are a special feature of the dredge, and consist of a mooring winch operated with a 15 b.h.p. motor, two headline winches, one on each side of the dredge and each driven by a 50 b.h.p. motor, and a ladder winch which is situated aft of the mooring’ winch on the starboard side, and is driven by a 120 b.h.p. motor. Special attention is being paid to the brakes of the ladder and headline winches. It is anticipated that the dredge will weigh about 1150 tons, and have a normal draught of about Bft. to Bft. 6in. Mr. W. Curphey, who has been appointed general manager of Clutha River Gold Dredging, Ltd., arrived from London last month, and is now engaged in preparatory work in connection with the assembly and launching of the dredge. Mr. Curphey has had many years’ experience in operating dredges both in the Molyneux and in the East.