GOLD DREDGING.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 20 June 1901, Page 2

GOLD DREDGING.

At the annual meeting of the Shellback Gold Dredging Company hold last night the retiring directors and auditors were re-elected.

The directors of the Eldorado Dredging Company report that the machinery made by the Austral Otis Company, Melbourne -is completed, and the engine and boiler (Ruston and Proctor) arc bought, and will bo forwarded to the claim. The directors confidently expect, that the dredge will be at work by the end of the year. The machinery for the Stafford-Waimca dredge is coming to hand in good time, the boiler and screen have arrived, and given fino weather the engineers will soou have it in position on the dredge. It is estimated that three months will see it in work.

Tho Secretary of the Watterson’s Consuls Company, states that the contracts are all well advanced. The pontoons ars launched, and ready for the machinery, which the . contractor will be ready to deliver within a week or two. At the present time tenders are being called for the erection, cartage, and housing in one contract. All material except tho engine is included in the machinery contract, and tho engine is stored in Greymouth. The Despatch Foundry Company are the contractors for tho machinery. The secretary of tho Trafalgar Company reports that the pontoons are being built by Mr G. Erickson, and will be completed in a couple of weeks. The engineer, Mr Roberts, personally visited the claim recently, and reports that Mr Erickson is making a first class job of them- The machinery is being manufactured by the Despatch Foundry, Greymouth, and is almost ready for delivery. The erection, housing, and carriage will if possible, be lot in one contract. The engine is on the claim, all other material is included in tho machinery contract. The bulk of the machinery for the Hokitika River is to hand, tho boiler weighing upwards of ll|tons was successfully landed on tho claim. Mr Cameron who has the contract for the carting of the machinery is to be complimented qpon tho manner in which he handled the huge piece of iron work. The work in connection with tho Fairdown Company’s dredge, tho secretary reportf, is being vigorously proceeded with. The machinery is being manufaotnrad by Messrs Johnston and Sons, Invercargill, and will be ready to ship immediately the pontoons are completed, a contract for which has been let to Mr M cLellan, of Westport. They are to be constructed of blue gum and kauri, and tho contract time is eleven weeks, of which two weeks have already expired. Thsre is a tramway laid down from “the railway, which saves carriage of both machinery and coal, and will mean a big saving to the Company. Tho boiler is on the claim and the engine is stored in Dunedin, ready to ship with the machinery.

There is no immediate prospect of launching the Teremakau pontoons, the late hoods having cut away the beach on the north side of the river, and left a spit immediately in front of the pontoons, over which they will require to be launched to reach the river, which means raising the ways close up to the bottom of the pontoons and extending the skids over 100 feet. Mr A. Black I learn (says Kumara correspondent of the Guardian), is prepared to launch them into the river if the Company find the required timber. The Compary has been communicated with to that effect.