SUCCESS GOLD DREDGING CO.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10594, 28 March 1912, Page 7

SUCCESS GOLD DREDGING CO.

ANNUAL REPORT. The following is the second annual report 'of itlho Success Gold Dredging 00., to be submitted to tho animal general meeting of members in Murray's Hall, Master ton, 011 March 29th : "I now beg to submit my second animal report, tho statement of accounts for tho year ended January 31st, 1912, Jiaving already been served on members. "Accompanied by Mr W. E. 0. Reid, Secretary, and Mr George Pettigrew. supervisor, I visited the Company's dredigo ,n.nd claim early tins week, and found everything running smoothly. ''So that shareholders may liave some idea of the workings, a rough .sketch of ifche claim is appended hereto, and shows approximately .tllie ground dredged since the commencement of operations in January of last year. "A iportion of the c!,ain: has been dropped in the meantime, t'he ground showing indications of .becoming shallow. I aim anxious ito push on to iihe deeper ground wihero imoro wa.-;h is us- , ually met with, and wJiero the dredge will bo able to turn over a hrger amount of material, and, consequently, improve the returns. By this means, I Oiope soon to be able to pay off tho debentures and bo in a position to declare dividends, thus givi'ig a return to shareholders on their investment. At- present every indication. I omts to the deep ground widening out. Tho wash its of good quality, and carries a fair sample of gold. ' "By the time of tlio annual meeting, I trust ivo -will have dropped tho shal- i low ground altogether, and that wo

will 'have a. good working face several chains wider than at present, and with an average depth of over 30ft. The deep ground contains nearly all gravel, very little clay showing, and it carries gold from top to bottom. ' 'The dredge is now up to Ihe first of the old leads across the country • this one was called the, 'gas pipe lead,' and judging t>y the old workings on both sides of the claim, there are several others ahead, which have apparently crossed the flat.. "Every indication points to these leads having been connected at one time, and through the wearing down of them by Brennan's Creek and Three Mile Creek, the gold ,b,as 'been deposited in the flat, which is just ahead of the present face of workings.

"During the past year, several improvements were added to the dredge; gold-saving'tables were affixed to tJie ■shiico -box: The wash in the ' deep -ground -met wtfi. (vjL,th© beginning j)f -thisTe^r^ed."to. w<yt ;§ilty nature; • ■find did- not leave the 'buckets freely and' to meet t'his difficulty, Mr Pettigrew installed a. three-inch centrifugal pump, with an'inch and a quarter nozzle, the water from which plays right into the buckets as they turn oyer the top tumbler, the ■ material being thereby freely delivered, and the buckets thoroughly washed out. ''l havo already reported that the dredge is the largest in Westland; it is splendidly equipped, and is one of tho strongest .and heaviest'-'box dredges in t!he Dominion, and as good to-day as when operations commenced. _ Its present state goes to prove without a doubt that the extra expense in construct ion was thoroughly justified. "The boiler is. forty-three horse power. The main engine is a twentyfive 'horse power Marshall, which, in addition- to driving the buckets, also drives one ten-inch centrifugal pump. On the opposite or port side, another ten-inch centrifugal pump is driven by a. twelve horse power Ran somes, Sims, and Jefferies engine. A splendid supply of water is delivered by th«sc | pumps on. each side of the sluice box, which is sixty-three feet long and sis | feet wide, and the supply cau bo regu.; latcd by the use of the ar.xiliary engine. The winches are driven by a < i pair of Marshall's vertical engi'ies. . "The buckets are six feet cubic capacity, are specially strong and of a good shape, and they show little sign of wear after twelve months' heavy work; the lips are, of course, worn, but the wihole string is being rClippcd, and at the date of my visit, fourteen ! only required finishing. - : ''The whole of the framing was specwily designed by uVIr Pettigrew for ' heavy work ; all tho timber is irovtbant nu( ;l kauri, and not a movement is shown in the framing. The pontoons arc guyed from each corner over the hog-framing and have kept their shape admirably; they are sheathed with | three-sixteenths inch: plates along the • well hole,- and at tW^bow-and.stern. - ' "All tho m'achinery is specially heavy, the gearing; being all imported steel. Tho crown "wheel is eight feet ithxee .inches in diameter, of a specially heavy design, and will last a lifetime. "During the coming year I do not anticipate any 'great expense beyond ■ ordinary charges.for maintenance and 16 witli the Articles of Association. I retire from office, but offer mvsolf for re-election. "JOHN H.ESSEY, "Sole Director."