GOLD DREDGING.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 5 February 1901, Page 3

GOLD DREDGING.

Tlie Leviathan Freehold Gold Dredging Coy. has got faHy started. At a meeting of shareholders held at the Albion Hotel last night, Messrs Forsyth, Ring, Jay, Gicsekiug, Kitehingham, Pochin and Kci‘f WctT elected directors. Messrs Ciltteil Brothers were appointed engineers to tho Company. The Nelson Crock Company still refuse to allow their local director to give the Weekly returns. As a consequence we were Compelled to obtain lire information through our Dunedin correspondent, which coming late yesterday, we were only enabled to give the bare return of SO ounces. We now learn that the time

engaged in obtaining this gold was 134 hours. The returns continue good and ■•appearance indicate .a continuation. Old Presidents declare that the ground a little way up the creek is much richer, but this remains to be .seen. The dredge lias already put up an immense heap of tailings and is now working across the creek at the lower end of the claim. The area extends up stream past the township and is supposed to cross the richest lead Worked hi the locality. The upper end iff the claim ends between two high bluffs in which the Old Man reef shows rip boldly to near the surface. In regard to this claim, there is a good deal of local discontent at the non-publication of returns. The Grcymouth director, Mr O’Kane, favors the immediate posting of the returns, but the Dunedin Board refuse permission and so it happens that although the directors at Dunedin knew of the return on Saturday, the West Coast folk have to wait till Monday afternoon for the information. This system is capable of being much abused. Very little information is allowed to r -'-' loak out about Fords Creek dredge, which however, has got through a large amount of dirt, mostly tailings of a coarse rough nature, in which little gold Was expected; It is is generally held here that the dredge was started in the wrong place. The pontoon is now working well . out towards the river where it is to be hoped better success Will follow as the dredge approaches the month of the creek. The return from the Grey Fiver last Week was to those unacquainted with the situation disappointing, but not so to those acquainted with the river and the gresent position of dredging. Thcdredge has recently been working on the opposite bank to where the big yields were obtained and a hundred yards further up the stream. The wash is very uneven and at one place ran as shallow as two feet. Where it is deep the ladder was unable to bottom and it is reasonable to suppose that the best gold was left behind. The Waipuna dredge since starting has been working well, but had to stop last week after having run a day and a half. It was found that the pontoon was leaking at the bow, owing to the planks wearing away through coining in contact with the gravel and boulders that kept constantly falling away from the buckets. This might have boon obviated if the ladder had been made longer, thus enabling - the buckets to -work at a further distance r from the pontoon. It is now proposed after replacing the planks to cover the corners with iron sheeting- These repairs will take the whole cf this week, and possibly, part of next; so that little or no returns need be expected from this claim before the end of the month. The New River Dredge had a good run last week, the machinery working well, and turning over a good deal of ground on the way to the river. It has now worked out of the artificial dam, into which the pontoon was first launched, and is on tho side of the river. This week a fair run should be obtained. The Pactolus dredge, just below the Nelson Creek claim, is approaching completion, and is expected to have a trial m running this day fortnight. The ground (IW ' all appearances is very similar to Nelson Creek claim. The balance of tho machinery for the Grey Favor Consolidated was landed at Greyraouth from Melbourne to-day, and tenders close for its erection on tho 14th inst, tho time for its completion being eight weeks. Greenstone Creek dredge should start in three weeks hence. Erickson’s Reward and Ahaura dredges expect to start about the end of March. Tenders have been let for dredges for the Shellback and Maori Gully claims. Time under a penalty for actual working is tho end of November. The Leviathan Company did not do a great deal of work last week the machinery giving a great deal of trouble. It is generally believed that a good many alterations will require to be made ere this dredge works smoothly, and admits of this fine property being developed. The Directors of the Great Greenstone Coy have been asked to put a price on their claim by tho representative of the London syndicate. This Company have not let any contracts, the management evidently waiting results from tho other claims on Greenstone Creek. Tho contractors for machinery for the Kohinoor Company, Messrs Luke and Sons, of ’Wellington, have advised the directors that the main ladder, elevator, driving gear, screen, and tho principal parts of the machinery are well forward, and it is expected tho whole will be completed well within contract time. Messrs Reynold and M’Beath, who built the Hokitika River, Ruby Creek and Waipuna pontoons will start work for the Koobinoor Company almost immediately. Tho Hau -Han pontoons were successfully launched on Saturday at 2 30 p. m. into the dam which had caught sufficient water in tho last rains. Among those present were Mr Jas. Reynolds, of the contractors’ firm, and Mr Bridgets, who represented Mr Bishop, engineer. Messrs Cable of Wellington have tho machinery on tho ground and the men ready for its erection. Tho pontoons are 60ft in length by 21ft wide and 6ft in depth. The dredge for the Hokitika River Co. was successfully launched at Kanicri on Thursday. The length of the dredge overall is 120 feet and tho two pontoons are strongly braced with wood and iron stays. The ladder of this dredge will bo the heaviest and perhaps the strongest in New Zealand, and the steam winches have boon specially constructed with a view to prevent accidents should the river be flooded. The gold-saving tables will be specially constructed to catch rough pieces of gold and tho general arrangement of the screen is such that tho holes enlarge and diminish so as to allow of fine or course gold falling on the tables. The whole design is by Messrs Cuttou Bros,