DEEP DREDGING

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 15, 19 January 1933, Page 11

DEEP DREDGING

CLUTHA EiyER PKOJECT

PROMOTING A COMPANY

(From "The Post's" Representative.) > LONDON, loth December.

For some months past rumours have been abroad regarding the formation of a company to work for gold in the Clutha Eiver, Central Qtago. It is now possible, to report that a concession has been granted to a certain organisation as yet unnamed to dredge for gold on a nineteen-mile reach of the river between Cromwell and Alexandra, and also on certain flats between Alexandra1 and Clyde.

A prospectus will be issued early in January, and tho intention is to raise capital amounting to £250,000. The first call on the capital will bo for the construction of', a powerful and up-to-date dredge of about 300 horse-power. The two promoters of this company are Mr. Norman M. Dudgeon, M.I.M M and Mr. A. Hedley Williams, A.I.M.M? M.lnst.P.T. Mr. Dudgeon is not unknown m New Zealand. Ho was manager of the Waitekauri claim for a year in 1897, ana, returning again from Australia, he became general manager of the New Inkerman Mine, on the West Coast, from 1903 to 1906. Altogether, he spent five and a half years in the Dominion. , In Australia he was general manager of tho Victoria Court Mine and the Daylesford Mine, and consulting engineer for tho Star and the Al Mines in Victoria. His mining activities later took him to Ehodesia, Mexico, and Canada. During the war' he worked for Messrs. Vickers in con2teetion with the manufacture of paravanes and tanks. In recent years he has had a business. unconnected with mining in the city, but together with Mr. Williams" he has formed what is known as tho N.M.D. Syndicate, which is sinking an oil well dn Sussex. This well is already 1300 feet in depth, but quality oil is not expected until it is. down 1800 feet to 2000 feet. The G.W.D. Syndicate, with a well 2300 feet in Germany, is another of their ventures. Mr. Williams, whose family have beenin tho tin-mining industry in Cornwall for generations, has also had wide experience of mining, manly n Burma. . • TIFTY-FOOT DREDGING. ' These two promoters base their hopes for the future of the Clutha on several grounds. First, tho 1-ece.nt draining of the river and tho mining activities that followod showed that gold is to be found at a depth that was nover reached by the old dredges. Secondly, the old dredge averaged about OOoz a week. When the river was low, howovor, through climatic conditions and the drodgmg was carried deeper into the bod of the river, the takings increased to as much as IOOOoz a week. Tho now dredge in contemplation will be able to dig to a depth of 50ft below the existing bed of tho- stream, thus working ground that was novor touched by the old 80 horse-power dredges. The dredge will bo steam-driven, and tho coal used wll be the lignite obtainable in the locality. Associated with Mr. Dudgeon and Mr. Williams in their enterprise aro Mr.. F. Lysnar and Mr. W. Tong, of Auckland. ;