A Dredge Roll Call – Contracts 43, 46, 47, 48

Our roll call continues with a look at contracts 43, 46, 47, 48. All these contracts were for the dredging of the rivers that ran through the low lands and rivers of central New York, which was all the bottom of a glacial lake. As such, the material was muck, sand, mud and marl, all easily handled by the hydraulic dredge. Each contractor only needed to have one dredge each.

Contract 43 – The Stanwix

I could only find a couple images of the Stanwix. She was built by the Morris Machine Works of Baldwinsville.

Contract 46 – The Montezuma

The Montezuma was another Morris Machine dredge. There are a few postcards of the lower view which might explain the name boards.
Contract 46 was along the Seneca River and some cuts between natural loops. This was all fairly soft material and the dredge set a number of records for the amount of material removed. Note the width of the cut that the single dredge could make.

Contracts 47 and 48 – The Clyde and the Lyons

Both these contracts were held by the firm of Crowell – Sherman – Stalter and both the dredges were built by Bucyrus. Note the difference in construction of the head units between the Morris and Bucyrus machines.

We see the Clyde being built. Oddly, there are no images of these dredges at work.
Although built by Bucyrus, these are different machines. The Lyons was a much larger dredge. Both appear to be all steel hulls, which was an oddity..