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Clyde. The Clyde Dredging Company has a very complete plant, the dredge being 93 ft. long by 27 ft. wide over all, and bucket-ladder 60 ft. long. The tail elevating-buckets are of an improved shape, and are intended to carry away all sand and gravel washed. A second small set of elevators will lift the grit and fine sand passing over the tables, and empty it into the main elevators at the level of the deck, to be discharged with the coarser gravel some distance away from the tail end of the dredge. The object of the tail elevator is to give the dredge plenty of room in the deep ground, or where a large quantity of loose gravel has been deposited in the river by terrace sluicers. In order to strengthen and prevent the dredge hugging, she is fitted with two sets of hog-posts, 28 ft. high, four in each set, diagonally braced, and having long iron tie-rods at top from the ladder hoistingframe at the bow to the outer end of the tailing elevator. This deck erection to such a height is considered quite a new feature in dredge construction, and it is thought it will be more generally adopted where deep ground has to be worked. Alexandra. The Chicago Dredging Company hold 57 acres 2 roods on the Clutha River, near Alexandra, and employ seven men, the dredge being worked by steam-power. The Eureka dredge, 80 ft. long, with pontoons 9 ft. wide and 5 ft. deep, ladder 53Jft. long, and ladder-way 4-J-ft. wide, works the river-bed half a mile above the Alexandra Bridge. The plant is capable of dredging 36 ft. deep from the water-surface, the capacity of the buckets being 3 cubic feet. The tailings-elevator, 36 ft. long, is capable of stacking the tailings 20 ft. above the water-level. The Ngapara Gold-dredging Company, at Alexandra South, put through during the year 225,600 yards, for a yield of 940 oz. ; value, £3,619. The dredge is worked by a 12-horse-power steam-engine. Seven men were employed. The Enterprise Gold-dredging Company (No Liability) hold a claim of 55 acres along the river at Alexandra South, and employ seven men on their dredge. The Manuherikia Gold-dredging Company (Messrs. Steel, McGeorge, and party) hold 28 acres at Alexandra South, and employ four men on their current-wheel dredge. The gold won for the year was 289 oz., valued at £3 17s. per ounce. The Manorburn dredge, at Alexandra, has a 12-horse-power nominal engine, pontoons 75 ft. long and 11 ft. wide, ladder (4 tons) 53 ft. long, and ladder-way 4-J- ft. wide. There are thirty-two buckets, each weighing 3 cwt. 201b., and capable of lifting 3 cubic feet each. The capacity of the dredge is estimated at 90 tons per hour. The washing cylinder is 16 ft. long, the perforations being fin. in diameter, and the material treated is distributed over 220 square feet of gold-saving tables, from which the sand is discharged directly into the tailings-bucket, which casts the tailings some distance behind the dredge, where, if necessary, they can be stacked to a height of 24 ft. above the water-level. The fall in the gold-saving tables, which are all fitted with cocoanutmatting, is 1 in 10. Ophir. The Ophir and Ind Gold-dredging Company (Limited) hold a claim of 99 acres at Ophir, and employ six men. They have a steam-engine, with a nominal 10-horse power. Boxburgh, Clutha. The Ettrick Gold Steam-dredging Company (Limited) hold 50 acres about nine miles below Roxburgh. A 12-horse-power compound horizontal surface-condensing engine drives all the appliances connected with the dredge. The Roxburgh Gold Steam-dredging Company's claim of 50 acres is situated one mile below the Town of Roxburgh. The beaches formed in the Clutha River are worked by steam-dredging, the dredge, band of buckets which lifts the w r ash-dirt, and the centrifugal pump which supplies the water for sluicing being driven by a 20-horse-power compound horizontal surface-condensing engine. Six wages-men are employed. The Golden Treasure Dredging Company's claim consists of 50 acres, about twelve miles below Roxburgh, a 30-horse-power compound horizontal surface-condensing engine driving the dredge, buckets, and centrifugal pump which supplies the water for sluicing the wash-dirt. Miller's Flat, Clutha. The Otago Gold-dredging Company (Limited) hold 52 acres at Miller's Flat, and employ seven men. Two steam-engines of 10- and 14-horse power supply the motive-power for dredge, ladder, and elevator. During the year the dredge worked 197 days, and. obtained 660 oz. 18 dwt. 17 gr. of gold; value, £2,544 3s. The Golden Run Dredging Company hold a claim of 50 acres at Miller's Flat, and employ six wages-men. A 12-horse-power compound horizontal surface-condensing engine drives all the appliances. Messrs. J. Pringle, R. Patrick, J. Mclntyre, J. C. Arbuckle, and J. Pringle, who own the Pride of the Clutha dredge at Miller's Flat, have an area of 57 acres, part river (34 acres) and part land (23 acres). The dredging machinery consists of a 60 ft. ladder, forty buckets, six hand-winches, and one steam-winch. Six men from shareholders and two wages-men are employed. Island Block, Clutha Biver, Tuapeka County. The Golden Gate Dredging Company (Limited) have a claim of 50 acres on the Island Block, Tuapeka County, and employ seven wages-men. Dredging operations were started a few chains below the Island Block line of pipes, where some good ground was met with, but it did not prove as extensive as anticipated. Some prospecting has been done lower down the river, and there is

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