MINING

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1933, Page 6

MINING

BRIAN BORU DREDGE. The Brian Born Gold Dredging Company’s dredge, which is being built to dredge the Brian Born and German Gully areas in the vicinity of Nelson Creek, is now near completion, and it is expested that dredging will he commenced early in February. The work of constructing the dredge has been in the capable hands of Air Gordon McKay and a competent stall'. The dredge, which will be electrically driven, appears to be strongly built, only the host of plant and workmanship having been utilised. The dredge is equipped with Hadfield’s (England) “Era” manganese buckets, with a capacity of five cubic; feet. When the dredge has completed “opening out,” these buckets will handle in tbpi vicinity of 18,000 to 20.000 cubic yards per week, dredging at the rate of twenty-two buckets per minute, as compared with ten. on the old type of dredges. The tumblers are also made by Hadfield’s of “Era” manganese steel, built to stand the severest strains associated with the dredging of the heaviest of gravels. The pontoons are constructed with' a framing of hardwood, while the planking is of kauri. Their length is 121 ft, width 3Gft Gin and depth 7ft, Gin. The dredge itself is of the same general design as the Riihu Flat dredge, and outside that plant- i s the most modern in New Zealand. The early clay dredges such as Callaghan’s, Nelson Creek, Pactolus and No Town, which dredged areas adjacent) to the Brian Born were very small compared with the present dredge, and, though excellent returns were secured by them tlie yardage was very small.