Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 245, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1913 — BIG DREDGE NOW THROWING SAND [ARTICLE]

BIG DREDGE NOW THROWING SAND

Monster Making Good Progress and Drainage Plan Will Benefit Thousands of Acres. > The writer accompanied O. A. Yeoman to the bid dredge that started work some two weeks ago on the Borntrager ditch, which is the extension of the Iroquois ditch completed some six years ago. The digging of this monster ditch will rescue a large acreage now almost a total waste, while It will aid the entire watershed along the upper Iroquois and Pinkamink, the Howe ditch and Carpenters Creek and all other lands along streams and ditches as far as the improvement Is carried. Drainage has been the salvation of Jasper county and has brought our once desolate lands to be some of the best corn producing land In this entire corn belt. The new ditch,will greatly benefit every acre that it helps to drain. But getting back to the dredge. The big boat is now at the sandbank, only about 300 feet down stream from the construction and launching point. The massive boom and the big dipper extend far in front of the hull and tower above the top of the boat. The power from the 60-horse engine would be unable to lift the big boom except for the gearing arrangement, and it is quite wonderful to watch the great dipper as it is lowered into the channel and then plows its way through the dirt and is carried well out to the side and then dumped with a big splash. The stumps of good sized trees or the heavy and solid bank form no barrier for the powerful dipper and with consistent movements it piles dipper after dipper of the earth out of the channel.

It so happened that ithe writer was at the dredge when It moved forward, which it does at about 16 feet at a time. To move is a simple matter. The boom is swayed to the right as the anchoring spud on the left is withdrawn and then swung to the left and the other spud is raised. Then the boom stops at the center, the dipper is extended to full length and lowered to the solid bed of the old channel in front and the boat pulled forward by the cables controlling the dipper. The spuds are then let down, the boom being swung from right to left several times to settle them into the ground. The process requires only a few minutes and then the digging goes merrily on. Three hands are all th£t arc required to run the dredge. The boat is equipped with an electric light plant and four big lamps on either side of the boat, with new tin dishpans for reflectors give splendid light for the night work. The work is not so much different from that of any other dredge in operation, except the massiveness of the boat and the boom and dipper. It is a sight worth seeing and well worth a visit from any person.