GOLD SAVING DEVICE. A Mechanical Beach Comber. Invercargill, February 9.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 241, 11 February 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

GOLD SAVING DEVICE. A Mechanical Beach Comber. Invercargill, February 9.

Mr Cockerell, a well-known manufacturer of agricultural machinery, has lately been giving attention to the question of goldsaving, with the result that he haa invented a machine for working under water in places beyond the reach of fch© human "beach comber." Mr Cookerell,. who has had a good deal of experience in goldmining in Victoria, has applied fora patent for his invention. It is in the form of four cylinders, two of which are placed on the front angle and two on the back angle of a hexagonal frame. This causes them to rotate obliquely to the direct Una of the machine's advance. Each cylinder has thus one leading cage, and they* being well mouthed, cut or scoop intothe sand which is carried through by that action ol the water caused by the onward motion of the apparatus. Copper plates, coated with quicksilver placed in the form of inner cylinders will arrest and retain the finest gold. In actual use the intention is to haul the machine offshore by means of a wire ropo received through a block attached to an anchor and worked on the land either by horse or steam power. Calculating on the machine being moved 12 miles a day, Mr Cockerell estimates thab 200 tons of sand would be operated on. A local private company, including engineers and other practical men, has been formed to work the machine, the first of which will be in use in a fortnight. It is intended to> make a start at Bushy Point, near Invercargiil, where gold has been obtained for I years past.