INTRODUCTION 



THE HISTORY OF DREDGES AND DREDGING 



DREDGING is an old industry, but it is only within the last fifty 

 years in Europe, and during the past twenty-five years in America 

 that rapid advances have been made in designs and types of machines, 

 so that the cost of dredging has been materially reduced. It is 

 almost impossible to give an accurate history of the industry of 

 dredging, but a few facts can be given that may be of interest to 

 the student. 



No doubt the ancients used some primitive forms of dredges, 

 but if any such work was done by them it was generally near the 

 shore and was in most cases done by hand. The boats used by 

 the ancients were built to go in shallow water, so that there was 

 not much need for dredges. It may be of interest to note that 

 even to-day some dredging is done by hand. (See report of the 

 Minister of Public Works of Canada for year ending June 30, 1903.) 



The first forms of dredges were long-handled scoops operated 

 by hand from floating platforms. Then a windlass or drum was used 

 to aid in the work, and then scows were substituted for the plat- 

 forms or rafts. The development was no doubt gradual, although 

 it is a great step from these primitive scoops to the immense 

 buckets and dippers of to-day. 



In operating the early scoop dredges it was found that the work 

 done stirred up much material which floated away when there 

 was a strong current. This brought into use methods of stirring. 



The first mention of a rude dredging machine is by a writer 

 named Veranteus in the j^ear 1591. The first power dredge was 

 one invented by a Dutch engineer, one Cornelius Meyer, in 1685. It 

 was operated by horse power, and was used in constructing some 

 of the canals and dykes of Holland. 



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