RIMU FLAT DREDGING

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1920, Page 1

RIMU FLAT DREDGING

PRELIMINARY PREPARATIONS

The American Company which took: up the rights to work the Rimu Flat gold, • dredging proposition some six months ago, is making rapid progress with the preliminary- works. Since the old plant was .dismantled, and the location prepared for the building of the new dredge, a great amount of work has been done. Quantities ot Oregon balk timber from various New. Zealand yards have been brought on to the ground, and two shipments of totara sticks have been , brought up. from Okarito by the Wakaiti. A third .shipment will about complete the supply.roe quired of totara, but some, .additional will he needed, and, failing that efforts will be made to have some-kauri supplied. The timber has been transported to the building site, on Rimu Flat from the Takutai railway, siding, where there are loading -facilities for the company’s goods, and thence they are taken by tramway—which follows Adair’s road—to the claim area. The tram lino is laid temporarily on the road way, the sleepers being sunk underground and the railers are- ballasted level with the road surface. Motor trafr fie passes freely along the roadway by straddling the tram-line. ■« ' ■ \t the claim site a small sawmill has been erected. This is worked by electric power brought,by a power line from Kanieri Forks. The sawmill is breaking down the Oregon and other timbers required to the sizes necessary, for.-pon-toon. building. Later the mill will .be used for milling the local timber on the claim grounds which lieretofio.re has had to be destroyed. It will now be felled, drawn to the mill site by an electric hauler,' and cut into marketable sizes. The cleared space which was prepared at the side of the pontoon dam 1 is now occupied by the dredge builders with the preparations for the building of tile pontoon. The floor is laid already, and is of impressive size. It is * 1 115 ft long and 50ft wide, and will con- ' stitute the largest pontoon built for dredging in the Dominion. It will be ■ strongly constructed to carry the machinery and plant, all of which is to he operated by electric power. To ensure ample power the head race from Lake Kanieri to the power station at-Kanieri Forks has been overhauled. As a re- ; suit of the work the ra/ce carries additional water,, and is giving more effective power. It is now assured that there will be. ample power to operate the Company’s first dredge, and work the land machinery, including the ■ sawmill and traction haulers, as also the lighting of tile streets of Hokitika and the hospital (for which contracts have been ; undertaken) with surplus power for do'mestic uses in Hokitika as may he applied for. i The works at Rimu Flat appear to lie iprogressing, most satisfactorily. There .are a number of men employed, and a, .good showing.is being made in all departments. Mr Sydney W. Ford is in charge of the. whole project and is ■hustling the work ahead as fast as supplies will permit. Mr Cranston, - the principal of the Company is in the United States superintending the shipping of the dredging plant from New T-ork to New Zealand. It is expected that the shipment will be about completed now, as Mr Cranston is due to leave • San Francisco for Wellington by the Tofua, sailing on the 11th Oct. Ihe machinery will be arriving here theieforo, in good time for installation, a.nd there does not promise to 1)0, any, serious delays, in that respect, As regards the installation of the .electric light for •Hokitika, there is, at present a. want of ' material, for the. main line from Kanieri. 'substation. This however has been on order for .some ,time. past, and there are expectations that it,will he-due at. L.vt•telion about.,the. 30th tost- Meantime the poles .for ,% reticulation .of , x thc streets are being, .erected, and the wire is, to hand for. the -lighting services. . Actually therefore there ,is, no delay but the work,cannot .be, ta-ken .on as complete a,front as would-be otherwise possible were all requirements at hand. In the circumstances, however, very good progress had been made,, especially considering the general shortness of electric supplies throughout the world. - Matters generally, in regard „tQ t ns. large proposition" which will operate so adjacent ,to ; the town are. proceeding '■ most satisfactorily. Those to charge are getting things done, band of workmen are .employed. The consistent progress made indicates that there are no.,gq T slow. ideas This has been demonstrated in conn lion with the handling-of the balk tiny, be,- put . into the .Flat.., As much as 30,000 feet has been unloaded and rails . ,ported, in a day. All this augurs well ; for the celerity which will mark the i. erection of the itself-tlie Marg- - est and most modern equipped the Doj minion haslet, seep.^