SUCCESSFUL GOLD DREDGING.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1922, Page 2

SUCCESSFUL GOLD DREDGING.

THE RIMU DREDGE. A RECORD RETURN. By the courtesy of Mr S. W. Ford, Manager and Secretary of the Rimu Gold Dredging Coy. operating on Rimu Flat, South Hokitika, the “Guardian” is privileged to report that for the period of dredging from the Ist to the 14th inst., the large dredge secured its record return since its inception, a little over 12 months ago. It was a, record not only in the gold value secured, but what is specially gratifying to the management, a record in the cubic capacity of the ground handled. The number of working days were 12, covering 288 working hours. The. actual dredging or digging time was 254 hours 20 minutes, showing a loss of 33 hours 40 minutes for stoppages. Exactly half of the lost time was duo to handling the large boulders encountered. Four hours were lost in attention to the hopper, and a little over three hours each attending to the upper, tumble* and a pipe which blew out of the low pressure pump. The sustained running indicating the improved working condition of the machinery, is a matter of special satisfaction to the management wh.se particular job is to keep the wheels of industry going so as to have the turn over of material. The quantity of ground handled in the time was the dredge’s record, nearly 81,000 cubic yards, the; actual total being 80,934 cubic yards. This indicates that the plant is doing its work and doing it well. For some time there has been a steady increase in (lie turn over, so that the groat machine is being brought more and more to perfection. The cubic yards handled per day were 6,745 cubic yards, or per hour 318 cubic yards. This is equal to a total of nearly' an acre of ground to a depth of 52.4' feet being treated, during a period in which the dredge was working for 88.31 per cent, of the full hours. As to ;fche quantity of the gold pro duct, it is given at 674 ozs bullion worth 19.75 dollars per ounce. This runs into over 13,311 dollars, and at exchange value of 4 dols 46 cents, is worth nearly £3.ooo—actually £2,984 13s Ocl. This is equal in value to £248 14s 6d per day’s work, while the cubic value is 16.45 cents, or 8.85 pence in English money. Roughly the running costs of the whole plant, ineluding over-head charges averages about 'od per cubic yard on the gold

won. The dredge is working a very large area of ground and is doing the work very systematically. It passed down the Flat, as long as the ladder could work the auriferous bottom, but deeper ground than the dredge could work, of good cubic value, was encountered, and the machine was then turned and is making her return trip. On the down run 21 bars, or sections, were worked, and the number to be worked on the upward journey will depend on the working capacity' of the plant within the various periods. Each bar, or section, has not any' definite limitations. The expanse dredged depends oh the facility with which the plantoperates the area from clean up to i loan-up, which rail gib within the month, and fortnightly where possible, if'tliere is good digging time made.

In affording the above information for public action, it was pointed but, of course, that the Company was in the nature of a private concern, and it was not desired nor intended to make public reports at regular intervals. Various reports, however, were going about from timci to time, and it was just as well to have the reports autlienticated so that no false ini pi cssions would arise, or any garbled accounts go abroad.. At tbe office ol the —. Company in IVeld St. a very complete record of the workings is kept. Each bar worked is plotted on to an area plan, and full particulars of the operations and values are to lie seen at a glance. Each clean-up report sets outclearly the work done within the per-;-d of time covered, and these reports aie embodied in monthly records which give the information amplified m detail as to costs, charges, and aierages in very full and readily distinguishable particulars. . The success the dredge maintains is verw pleasing, and is a fitting reward to the energy and enterprise shown, to say nothing of the justification for the engineering skill displayed in the equipment and management of the leviathan machine brought to New Zealand. A long life appears to be ahead of the plant which despite a good deal of rough country encountered is wearing well. The Company is a large and generous employer of labour ltrtlns locality and everything about thci proposition is done with great completeness.