Image 936

Newspaper Cutting from Otago Witness 8 July 1865. Spoon Dredge on the Buller River.

Page

1 of 2

Date

unknown

Source

The Golden Junction - J D McCraw

Description

A spoon dredge on the Buller River. On the right the dredgemaster is holding the long pole which is attached to the spoon about 2 meters under water. A sturdy chain, attached to the spoon, leads through the davit or crane to the winch at the bow. A current-wheel drives the Californian Pump which lifts water into the sluice boxes. Siedeberg's Dredge - see Cornish Beach: This dredge differs from that shown in that it had two pontoons with a 1.2m well between. The spoon was operated in the well. A spoon could hold approx 250 kg of gravel. In a 10 hour shift, 80 spoonfulls could be lifted. The recovered material was run through a specially designed cradle that was mechanically shaken. The power and water for this was supplied by a 1.2m undershot water wheel mounted at the stern of the dredge.