The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-09-19
PART Of GOLD DREDCE
THAT WEIGHS 20 TONS
WALLACE MAN HAS CONTRACT
TO DELIVER TITO USE
CATERPILLAR.

Alongside the railroad track at Pri-
chard there is a monster steel casting
about four feet square and 80 feet In
length, hollow, but with interior
bracing that gives it strength little
less than If 1t was solid metal and
reduced to a point at one end. For
what 1t Is designed Is a puzzle that
no layman would ever solve. and to
even move 1t to it's destination and
place it in position for use appears to
be an herculean task. Inquiry brings
out the information that this metal
monster is consigned to the Yukon
Gold company and is PERHAPS the
most essential part of the big dredge
that is gathering the gold from the
gravel of Prichard creek short dis
tance below Murray. 1t is known as
spud and this particular spud now
resting at Prichard is to take the
place of one that Is broken, but which
| Is still being used after being repair
ed. 1t may give way anytime, how
ever, due to the tremendous strain II
Is under, when the new one will be
installed.
The spud as used in connection with
the gold dredges Is perhaps the most
essential factor In the operation OF
the big floating gold machine, fol-
without it the dredge would be worse
,l,i ,.,ttl rtt1 Hor
position Of the spud on the dredge
corresponds to the rudder on ship
but It acts differently. The spud is
really a great brace hinged 70 the
stern of the dredge boat with the
pointed end resting on bedrock. II
thus receives the entire strain pro
duced by the chain of great buckets
as they scrape bedrock and tear ou
great bites from the embankment.
The Yukon Gold company has ar.
ranged with George X. Garrett, thu
transfer man of this city, to deliver
the spud from Prichard to the dredge
distance Of five or six miles Mr.
Garrett has had much experience ir
handling heavy machinery and is wei
equipped for the Job. When asked re-
garding the job, he said he had ex'
amined the spud and the road ove'
which it Is to be moved and that he
expected to receive orders any day
from the Yukon Gold management t'
proceed. According to Mr.. Garrett thu
spud Is 4S or so feet in length, 4 fee
square and weighs 20 tons. 1t Will bt
necessary to use two OF his heaV!
transfer trucks coupled together t.
accommodate the monster. The dis
tance to the dredge Is five or six miles
Two or three bridges will have to b.
blocked up to sustain the load ant
there are two sharp turns In the roa'
that may prove difficult to get around
For motive power Mr.. Garrett pro
poses to secure the use Of the count.
caterpillar, which he figures will han
die the heavy load without difficulty
II would require at least 20 head o
horses, and it Is doubtful II they coul
be used successfully owing to tn
turns In the road and in general tn
dif1culty In getting them to pull to
gether
With one exception this will be tn
heaviest load Mr.. Garrett has had {
handle during his long experience /
the transfer business. His heavies
load was an electric transformer de
llvered from Wallace to the Tamar
ack & Custer mine for the Washing
ton Water Power company for use o
its power transmission line. Th'
weighed 21 tons and horses were use
in moving 1t.