WORLD'S LARGEST TIN DREDGE TO BE LAUNCHED

January 1947 - One of Two Being Built in U.S. for Use in Mining Operations in Dutch East Indies.

The world's largest capacity tin dredge will be launched at the Tampa, Florida yard of the Tampa Shipbuilding Co.

This super dredge is the second of two being built in the United States for the Mining Equipment Corp., a subsidiary of the Billiton Co. of The Hague, Holland. The Bucyrus-Erie Co. designed and is building the dredges in cooperation with the engineers of the Billiton Co.

The two dredges are part of a major construction program to increase tin production of the Dutch East Indies to a level exceeding pre-war capacity. All the dredges are expected to be completed, transported and placed in operation this year on the Dutch East Indies islands of Banka and Billiton.

After completion of the dredge launched at Tampa, which is to be christened "Roosevelt", it will be towed 15,000 miles through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific to its destination in the East Indies. The Moran Towing & Transportation Co., Inc., of New York will undertake the task.

The Roosevelt will be put into operation on Banka Island, principal of the tin island group.

Note: Ellicott International of Baltimore, USA, acquired the dredge building business of Bucyrus-Erie in 1957, and is now the world's leading supplier of dredges for the mining industry.

Source: The Wall Street Journal January 4, 1947