The San Francisco call., 1909-10-24
DEVELOPING THE
DREDGINCFORGOLD
Machines Made in this City
Are the Standard Type the
World Over
EnviabIe Reputation Achieved
by the Gas Engines Turned
Out by Local Factories

was the sum dredged from the river
beds and gravel lands in a twelve
month The sum for 1909 viii be yet
greater. and the maximum figure can
not be estimated for future years.
Gold dredging is, becoming more and
more common. and San Francisco, her
shops and mecha mics. are responsible
Tor the growth Of this new method OF
extracting riches from the soil of the
Golden state
The first successful gold dredge to
operate H. this country, though several
types Of unsuccessful machines had
been constructed elsewhere, was built
IN san Francisco some L years ago
by the Risdon iron and locomotive
works, and since that time the well
known frm has turned out 81 Of these
great machines and sent them TO ali
parts OF the world They are stand
ard eVery-w here for all other kinds and
types. and il may safely be said that
san Francisco showed the world now
10 mine successfully with a dredge.
ENORMOUS CAPACITY
That frst machine had capacity of
about 10000 tons of earth per month,
and engineers marveled at the amount
OF dirt the dredge could handle. But
the next dredge turned out by the COM
pany had stin greater capacity. and
now the RisdOr iron works builds ma
chimes that are able TO handle. month
after month, 100000 tons of earth every
50 days The hrm manufactures the
machinery complete at its works. the
hull. or boat. is built where the dredge
Is 10 be operated. and experts are sent
with the machinery to install il and
Put the whole affair in running order.
II Is not uncommon, with the pioneer
Wcsk tie dredges are doing. 10 find
ar=4 trn
recesses Of the mountains, working
down some wide creek bed.
In early days the Chinese We're cred
lted by white men with having the
ability TO extract gold from ground so
poor that no American miner would
touch il. The dredges surpass the
celestial ia every way Sometimes they
handle dirt containing not over 10
cents 10 the ton. which had been aban-
c0ned by the Chinese and every ma
chine designed for low grade work, and
make neat profit each month for
their owners.
Used TIE WORLD OVER
The habitat Of these san Francisco
mechanical miners. Is anywhere. Two
weel-s. after the fire the Risdon iron
works received an order for d gold
dredge 10 be sent 10 the Forty Mile ter
ritory in Alaska The machinery and
lumber We're sent from here TO the
mouth OF the Forty Nile river on the
Yukon. and halted there until the Forty
Mile had frozen solid. Then the ma
terials were hauled 105 miles on sledges
10 the dredging ground. Early in the
spring the experts from San Francisco
were rushed into the territory and
within 60 DAYS the dredge was running
day and night and making a fortune
Ter its owners
he Risdon iron works now has gold
ft1- n 1f-ff "a in
Idaho, Colorado. Montana. California,
Nevada Mexico. Brazil South Africa
Philippine islands. Yukon territory and
Nome. Alaska. And more are being
built.
The dredges. with very few excep-
tions are land lockedt that is. they do
not. as many suppose, operate in open
river channels and I'll the streams with
debris as 90 hydraulic mines. The
dredges float in artificial lakes, and.
starting at river bank. sometimes
VIII be seen busiIv at work miles from
the stream, working their way through
fields and pastures Most dredging
ground. however, is barren
SUPERIOR Gas ENGINES
Another large contract for distil-
hate running gas engines has just been
finished By the Imperial gas engine
company OF this city. One of tlfe three
engines has just been completed.
Too much can not be said of the san
Francisco made distillate running en-
Eine. The wearing qualities and the
wei Elt are so far ahead Of similar made
engines Of eastern manufacture that
there is absolutely no comparison. The
efficiency Of locally manufactured gas
engines beats the world. Where local
made engine Of so horsepower viii
weigh $3.50 pounds every piece thor
oughiy tested and Of local manufacture.
SD, lroc aaF 7cfr
lion viii weigh from 1000 TO $500
pounds
The reversing gears on these local
engines are PLANETARY and incased, run
ming in oil. steel dogs on reverse gear
are operated on stud with bearing on
both ends, impossible TO break and east
ly adjusted. There is worm gear trans
missions throughout, running in oil in
closed chambers. which. with large
cams. make the machine noiseless. The
advance and retard of igniter are from
q single lever. The engines have a pos
itive driven governor, operated by lever
Tor quick regulation, improved vapor-
izer. magnetic. attached to base OF en-
gine and a water jacketed air pump.
LENGTH or SERVICE
The years of service of the local
makes IS from 35 to 40 per cent in
advance of the eastern article This
applies not only on gas engines but on
numerous otleF aELlcieS OF ma nufacture
in the iron and steel industry. else why
should the west be given the prefer
ence2 The eastern manufacturers do
not put the same metal in their en-
gine or the weight
Too much can not be said IN favor Of
the local gas engines Not only are
they Of better material but they will
use less oil in their field consumption
q tenth OF gallon per horsepower per
hour, or five gallons In pne hour.
Ia all, San Fra ncisco's reputation is
that the engines made viii always give
more horsepower per hour than the
eastern engines. or in other words
where the local engine is required to
give, say $50 horsepower, the ultimate
test Of the engine will vary from 29S
TO 3O5 horsepower. In. the case of the
last engine made by the Imperial gas
engine company, which is being sent to
me WfIlapa construction company
RAYMOND Wash. near South Bend il
calls for so horsepower and tests
81 2-l0 horsepower. This engine has an
Sa bore by 1917. is a three cylinder,
and IN test runs 325 revolutions per
minute. To save the hand cranking
and turning that is often used on the
a.wheels to start an engine this ma
chine is equipped with an air start
ing device Of modern Improvement