The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-28

bncing the principles or cutting with
any suitable tool. while swinging side
wise on a rigid radius and pivot. then
bringing the excayated material on board
the dreGger and forcing Ii out again
through pipe TO a place OF deposit. The
method preferred by Mr.. Bowers and
adopted. Il is believed by all or nearly all
lnfringers of his patents, IL to sever the
material from the bottom of a waterway
BY means of hollow rotary cutter or
excavator, so constructed that the sew
cred material passes between the cutting
edges or blades to the mouth Of suction
pipe leading 10 the hollow interior of The
cutter; thence the material is drawn in
board and forced through the discharge
pipe TO any desired point. miles away. IL
Necessary. The dredger, while working,
swings on a massive seif-contained pivot
or spud, and with the cutter moves in The
arc Of circle. When one arc Is COM
pleied, the boat is moved forward by
means OF another spud. and the cutter
describes second arc. so that successive
arcs are constantly being made and a
clean bottom dredged
The spud timbers in use on the Ana
eonda and Python are each 1ex22 inches
and u feet long, and are armed at the
lower end with heavy steel points. The
Anaconda has swing OF 900 feet and can
dredge TO a depth of ~ feet below the sur
face while the big Python describes IN
arc with radius of 225 feet and can work
At depth Of so feet. From either side of
the dredger forward 10 stationary piles
guy ropes are thrown out. and as the
boat swings from one side to the other
and back again, the guy ropes, attach 81
70 machine In the pilot house, wind or
unwind as the case may be- On compile
ton OF the arc described by the dredger
the spuds are reset and the boat forced
five feet forward and the cutter set TO
work again
The cutter ia AZ the outside end OF n
long tubular suction pipe that projects
from the bow Of the dredger and gives Il
The appearance Of a battering ram. The
cutter itssif displays formidable array
OF Knives arranged I'm a circle and so adj
jusied as to he worked at any angle. II
feet Inches In diameter, and feet
long with thirteen blades on the side and
seven on the end. and constructed pre-
cisely on the principle of an o.d-fashioned
apo parer In operating the machine
great care Is necessary TO avoid large
stones and boulders. and the practice is
70 watch carefully. and when the suction
PIPE begins 70 bound TO slow down the ma
eanery solr first TO one side and then
70 the other OF the obstruction until u Is
completely undermined. In doing this
me dredger must literally feel its way"
Tor II Il should go blindly al ledge Of rock
me immediate effect would be that The
suction pipe and cutter would so boun1-
lng along over the boulders. shaking the
immense dredger like a leaf. and drag
sing Il from its mo0rngs perhaps 20 a
great. distance Having once se1e
ierongh the experience the operator will
ae extremely careful 10 avoid a repetition
Or tho shock
Almost iH the center OF the. dredger is
centrifugal pump eight feet six inches
"a diameter containing a nine-noint fly
e Weighing three tons. The pump with
al It's equipment weighs twelve tons.
~ e'fee is To supply the power 10y when
ae material torn from the bottom by the
cutter and suction pipe Is forced through
We stationary pipe tine 10 the place OF
delivery From thu top az the pamp rises
me FIRST joint % the receiving pipe form
ing the connection with the flexible line
% the p3ntooYs Formerly this pipe on
ne dredgsr was carried over the boiler.
taen bent ig a 80 per cent curve down
ward. then thrown into another % per
cent cHrve siors the bottom Of the
aFeaseF 10 rs connections. bat expert
taee has shown more advantageous ar
faugemsnt. ana now The pipe Is carried
straight ont ny the spud cabin 10 the
rontoon pipe. sixteen feet above the sur