The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-05-30


 Iatouche was chartered for the trip to Platinum Spit Alaska but due to last-minue complications involv- ing inspection of the cargo 1t was necessary to leave behind of the pOntoons and several hundred bar rels of fuel oil Special arrangements were made to ship these materials by boat to Seattle, from which point they were forwarded by regular steamer to Dutch Harbor Alaska, to be picked up later and brought to Platinum Spit.
 Building of this dredge, using pontoon-type hull has again demonstrated the practicability of such equipment The first Tuba pontoon-type hull built in 1883 for in Montana Since then the company has manufactured thirteen dredges of this type including the original hull Construction of the pontoons has undergone constant improvement and the results attained have proved conclusivey that such huls when properly constructed provide strength and utility at least equal and perhaps superior to standard-type hulls. Tn addition employment of multiple waertight compartments in the construction of the hull increases materially the safety factor of dredges equipped with such units.
 To most people it might appear to be hopeless situation to have l400 tons of miscellaneous machinery and structural steel dumped remote beach in Alaska during the first week of September with the prospect of hauling the material 20 miles by tractor for reassembage and have the dredge operating by November 15. Twelve miles of the hauage along the beach and eight miles along the Salmon River using the river bed for roadway and at time hauling in water two feet deep
 Because of good management in shipping the parts and the organizing ability of the superintendent and his assistants the ground the dredge actually placed in operation on November G. After the dredge floating and had started to dig the pond water lost accidentally thus postponing the start ing date to November TO- The dredge mined platinum for Al days before being shut down conserve fuel oil, permitting operations to start again early next spring before the shipment of fuel oil could rive on the ground
 Among the difficulties encountered were such matters tractors trailer loads being abandoned temporarily on the beach during high tides and rac- tors and loads being stalled many occasions in the stream bed. The pontoons shipped from Caiiior- mia fully fabricated and had only bolted in place in the pit provided for the erection of the dredge No compressors required at the erection site the pontoons, superstrucure, and machinery bolted together instead of riveted To expedite work many units of the dredge, well siding for the dredge housing were fabricated on the bank and erected in sections. high wind created a constant hazard in erection and later the nconveniences and discomfort of snow were added to the problems that the ton already had
 Many employees on the construction job travelled to and from the site by plane which the only means of transportation, the landing point for steamers was some 20 miles distant All freight had to be ghtered from the carrier because of shoa water and the material thus moved could be unloaded from the lighters at high tide only
 The dredge hasa pontoon-type hull mentioned previously which measures 130 feet in length 60 feet in width and feet inches in depth and is composed Of B steel pontoons. This gives the dredge about three feet of freeboard when operating with the dig ging ladder in position to dig % feet below water and with 15000 gallons of fuel oil the hull pontoons tanks provided for this purpose. All pontoons are electrically welded for strength and watertightness continuous welds being made where necessary to close outside Reinforcing built into the pontoons for machinery foundations and for footngs for and gantries. The house frame is of steel which is covered with corrugated galvanized sheets outside and ls-nch fiber and flat galvanized sheets inside
 The 8-cubic-foot manganese e-steel buckets were furnished by Taylor Wharton Iron 6 Steel Company Bucket pins are 5$ inches in diameter made from Yuba nickel-chrome steel The lower tumbler is of manganese steel and of the two-pece type the upper tunber is one-piece high carbon chrome-see cast ing provided with forged heat-treated nckel-chrome steel wearing plate
 In this dredge the digging ladder is 112 feet long to provide digging depth of 30 feet below water level when operating at 45 degrees to the horizontal The main drive is of the double train type with two bull gears, each IA feet in diameter and lO-nch face V-belt drive is used for transmitting power from the main drive motor to the pulley shaft revov- ing screen Is feet inches in diameter and has per forated section 26 feet long It is driven from the lower end by single roller and in addition is provided with V-bet drive from the motorA
 An independent ladder hoist winch is situated on the starboard side of the dredge. Here also is the swing winch containing eight drums The bow swing line drums can be operated independently of the other drums motor aft of the upper tumber act ates the bucket line through V-pelt drive The stacker ladder is 40 feet long center to center and is covered and heated as is the digging ladder to permit operation in sub-zero weather On it operates 35-nch rubber and canvas belt made by the Amer- can Rubber Company and power from the motor on the outer end of the stacker is transmitted by V-bet drive.
 The steel tables are built with the conventional side and tail sluces using wooden Hungarian rubber shod rifles. The tables arranged and of such width to permit installation of jigs should this be found desirable As built, the equipment includes PanAmercan placer jig testing unit consisting of two 42 by 42inch end-flow cells 12 by 12-incb pul- Sator Jg. Power for the dredge is supplied by a Me osh-Seymour Westinghouse dese-electrc genera tor built by the American Locomotive Company and rated at 625 kva This unit is installed on the dredge The total of the installed load amounts to 500 bn
 The dredge designed under the direction of Walter B. Macaulay, chief engineer for Yuba Manu featuring Company from specifications prepared bv Lhe owners cnnsLltant pnaIz 1u