THE "SUCCESS "DREDGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10149, 20 December 1910, Page 5

THE "SUCCESS "DREDGE.

NEAKING comlvetion.

The West Coast dredges in which the interest of the Dunedm mining community, so to speak, is centred —Blackwater River, New Trafalgar, and Worksop—have, says the Dunedin Star, won a reputation for working steadily and winning good returns. Their weeky totals are quite up to and at .times above the average dredge returns. Another machine will shortly be contributing its quota. This is the Success dredge. iMay it live up to its tit'e!

The Success Gold Dredging Company was Euccessiully floated some months ago. its capital being £IO,OOO. Mr John Hessey, well known in the West Coast mining World, is practically the owner of the dredge; m other words, he is the largest contributing shareholder. He promoted the company, and he is now the sole director. Mr Hessey paid a short visit to Dunedin yesterday in connection with the business of the company, and gave a "Star" representative a few particulars concerning the dredge. The Success dredging claim is situated at ihe foot of the Blue Spur, about three miles oat of Hokitika. The people of that district, although Mr Hessey did not say so, are very sanguine as to-the richness of the claim, and it is rumoured that the dredge's weekly returns will exceed 40oz. But that remains to be seen. The dredge itself ia generally recognised as the large t on the Coast. It has four engines—one 25, one 12, and two 8 horse-power, juater on an engine for generating electric power will be installed. The boiler is 43 4 horse-power, and the buckets of the fift type. It will readily be seen that the dredge is an exceedingly powerful machine. Ground to a depth of 45ft can be worked, and this should.be an additional factor towards good returns. Two lOin centrifugal pumps, in lieu of one, are erected in positions calculated to diffuse the water to the best advantage. Ihis arrangement is really necessary, as the dredge is of the box type, having no screen or other elevator. The darn is of the ordiuary type.

Mr Hessey reports that the work of erecting the machine is now well undrr way, and is being pushed forward with the utmost expedition. Already steam has been used for the purpose of pulling the machinery into position. A trial run of the dredge is to be made during the holidays, and it is quite possible that actual dredging operat : ons will he started in January. The result will be awaited with interest.