The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-20
Dredge Henry Bacon, Largest U. S.
Engineers DUN, Works On Harbo,
nv GLADYS BEST TRIP

.o way. plOQS tlle I1c11Iy odCOH
Wv Nv largest government : owned
arodoe in the United States.
The dredge's feet are really two
law steel castings go feet long
n ed about 80 inches in diameter
sbich protrude vertically on each
.;de Of the dredge. The average
s.o an of the Henry Bacon is six feet,
snp the spuds can take nine
saet at a step. One spud is dropped
ard penetrates the river bottom
SIfficiently deep to hold the dredge
~ nlace. The other is raised and
~nonseouently does not act as an
.ucbor. The dredge swings to one
s;de and the other spud is dropped
Shile the first is raised-and thus
the Henry Bacon walks.
Tugs Also Used
However in this slow fashion the
Horny Bacon advances 1900 feet
day in the inland waterway and
aoTers a much greater distance in
tbe channel of the c cape Fear.
When the dredge must 60 down to
cm,thport or Charleston on a long
er Journey, lows are put alongside
NE dredge and also behind and in
front, In this way the large struc-
.nre can round bends by certain
tows slowing while others increase
tbeir speed. Recently the tow TAX
;no the Henry Bacon with its pipe
line and other equipment stretched
1900 feet long.
Gas in the river bottom slows up
+bp dredge often during working
bol1rs. This gas has the same effect
~ the centrifugal engines as would
air.
The engines consist Of powerful
mechanisms to pull up the river
bottom. old tree trunks, stones, sfos-
sils. bones of prehistoric monsters,
alligator teeth-and even live ALI
Gators. The Henry Bacon boasts a
total of 5000 horse power divided
into 1000 horse power on the
dredging pump, 600 horse power
m The cutter engine, and 400 horse
mwer on the auxiliary engines. 1t
has a displacement of 1880 tons
and is capable of dredging an aver
age of 600, 900 cubic yards Of ma
terial a month under ordinary cir
cumstances and as high as 1,0OO,-
900 cubic yards in good material.
For several months the Henry
Bacon will be busy restoring the
SO.foot channel to project dimen-
sions at the ocean terminals. From
the Wilmington harbor the dredge
will move to Anchorage Basin.
For several months the Henry
Bacon will be busy restoring the
s.foot channel to project dimen-
sjons at the ocean terminals and
at Anchorage Basin. Later it will
work downstream removing any
shoals that have formed in the
channel between Wilmington and
Southport. If Congress approves
the 35-foot project in the Cape Fear
river. the Bacon is well suited for
doing that job.
Following the Mud
Now to follow a bit Of mud
through the dredge off on
Eagle Island. At the extreme end
Of the Henry Bacon is a huge
spiral-shaped cutter, closely re-
sembling a large m e a t grinder
blade, which revolves and loosens
the river bottom mud.
This cutter is connected to a
large steel pipe running from what
is known as a ladder which may
be raised when the dredge is being
moved or repair work being done,
and lowered for working purposes.
The dredging ladder is lowered
to the desired depth for dredging,
for instance, 30 feet in the Cape
Fear river, and the pumps on the
lower level of the Henry Bacon
started. The mud mixed with wa
ter is sucked through the steel pipe
in the dredge, out the back and
through the steel pipe in the
dredge, out the back and through
system of pipe line supported in
the Cape Fear by buoys.. The
dredging ladder is swung as mate
rial is removed in order to get the
desired depth within the swinging
scope of the ladder-about 300 feet.
Then the dredge takes a step
ahead.
The Henry B a c can also
oredge rock with a special rock
cutter on the ladder equipped with
massive hard knives that break up
me rock in pieces small enough to
De sucked through the pipe. Ball
steel connections join the pipe to
me dredge in place Of the rubber
seeVes once used but now incap-
dole Of carrying the added force
VI The 1000 horse power dredging
pump, The lining of the pump
tuS'S out in from three weeks to
hree months.
ehould a tree trunk be caught in
ue revolving cutter, the ladder Is
.alSed and the dredge stops while
al employee walks the steel pipe
anu loosens the impediment. Some
smaller stones and tree parts &c
through the pipe and stop inside
ue aredge. Again the dredge stops
maIle the object is removed from
"nnM the affected machinery.
me 70 employees enjoy working
vi me dredge. Under the direction
Ieaptain William E. Bellamy who
adS been master of the Henry Ba'
bol SINCE 1929 they work in eight