The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-02-03
LARGE SUCTION
DREDGE BEING
CONSTRUCTED
NEARING COMPLETION AND WILL
be USED IN TRIBUTARIES OF
PENSACOLA BAY-HAS cAPAC-
ITY OF 1000 CUBIC YARDS PER
DAY AND WILL COST $4,000.

A large suction dredge, to be known
as the Blackwater. and to be used in
opening up the tributaries Of Pensa-
cola bay and adjacent waters, is under
course Of construction on the river
just of from Pine Barren. The work
has been progressing for several
months and is now nearing compile
ton.
On the 14th Of last July a small
force Of shipwrfghts and laborers sent
out from Fort Pickens by Capt. ]. e.
Turtle, the engineer in charge Of this
district, began work on the dredge.
The river bank just off from Pine
Barren was secured as the building
site, as the river bank at that point
offers superior launching facilities, and
has also been used for a number Of
years as the tying-up harbor for the
two snap boats. Another reason is
that 1t is at the mouth Of the timber
ditch owned and operated by the Nc
MILAN Mill Co., so that the fine grade
Of lumber for which this company is
noted is delivered through the ditch
just where 1t is wanted with the least
possible expense.
Of the Suction Type.
The dredge is Of the suction type,
having an intake pipe fifteen inches in
diameter and when in operation will
have capacity Of 500 cubic yards of
sand per hour, or 1000 per day.
The dimensions are as follows:
Length, ITO feet; beam, 80 feet; depth,
9 feet 4 inches. It Is open in front,
a "well'' 10 feet wide extending back
for 20 feet. In this ''well' the sue
ton pipe, 10 inches In diameter, will
be worked in the same manner as the
side pipes on the Caucus. The sand
and water, after being drawn from the
forward end by the pumps. will be dis
charged through a pipe in the rear
that will be supported on large pom
ICONS to any point selected.
While this huge machine has no
direct means Of propulsion. it will be
able to walk along" as fast as the
pumps take up the sand in front This
feat will be accomplished by means Of
two large '.spuds," pine masts, fifty
feet long, two feet four inches in
diameter and armed with pointed iron
shoes These "spuds" are raised al
ternately, the dredge veered around
from side to side, and the "spuds'
dropped into the bottom, acting as
dredge literally walks along.
Install Machinery.
It will, after all the woodwork is
finished, be launched end lowed to
Fort Pickens, where the machinery
will be installed and the house COM
pleted, it being impossible to erect the
house until the boilers have been
placed in the hold.
The cost of the completed dredge
will probably be $4,000 or more Since
the machinery is not yet finished by
the Baltimore makers, there has been
no occasion to rush the work, hence,
like all the work done under Capt
Turtles supervision, the great consid-
Grafton has been excellence and thor
oughness-
AS the name would indicate, the
dredge was first intended to deepen
and widen the Blackwater, wetappo
and adjacent streams, so as to render
them navigable at all times by inland
coasting vessels, fishing smacks
oyster boats, truck barges, and all
small craft. This will be an incalcula-
BILE boon 70 truckers. dairymen and
others within reach Of the streams in
saving freight rates, and will undoubt-
edly be the means Of opening up q
large body Of new and productive farm
lands.
So confident ara those having the
rumors Of another dredge. Of the same