The vessel or barge for carrying the machinery and pumps cost £600, and the contract price of the machinery and pumps was £1,200. But before the dredger was taken over by the company the alterations before enumerated had cost about £300, bringing the total for barge and dredger up to £2,100. In building a second dredger this might of course be greatly reduced. The cost of repairs for one month's working has been only £5. The contractor receives for labor alone 1-1/8d. per ton, being at the rate of about 1¾d. for the dredging and 3/8d. for taking to sea--a lead of two miles--all materials being supplied to him. The consumption of coal is at the rate of about 1 ton for 1,000 tons of sand dredged. At Lowestoft Harbor the total amount of dredging has been about 200,000 tons yearly, but this is now much reduced in consequence of the pier extension recently constructed by the author, which now prevents the sand and shingle from the sea blocking the mouth of the harbor. The total cost of working has been 2.572d. per ton. which with 10 per cent interest on capital, 0.240d., makes the total cost per ton 2.812d. The repairs to steam tug, hopper, barges, and dredger have averaged about 2d. per ton. Before the discussion on the paper commenced, Mr. Langley remarked that attempts had been made to connect the engine direct to the pump of a Bazin dredger, but this arrangement failed, and the belt acted as a safety arrangement and prevented breakage by slipping when the pump was choked in any way. A new lock was constructed near Lowestoft a short time ago, and the dredger pump was used to empty it; when half empty the men placed a net in front of the delivery pipe and caught a cartload of fish, many of which where uninjured. In the discussion Mr. Wallick, who had superintended the use of the dredger at Lowenstoft, gave some of his experience there, and repeated the information and opinions given by Mr. Langley in the paper. Mr. Ball, London agent for M. Bazin, said that as devised by M. Bazin the pump was placed below water level, so that the head of water outside should be utilized; but he--Mr. Ball--now placed the pump considerably above water level, as no specially formed craft was thus necessary. He also described some of the steps by which he had arrived at the present arrangements of the whole plant, and gave some particulars of its working. Mr. Crampton asked some questions, in reply to which Mr. Ball said the longest distance they had carried the material was 1,200 yards in two relays--namely, a second pump on a floating barge with special engine. The distance to which they could carry the material depended upon its character. Fine sand would travel well; mud would not, bowlders would not, though gravel would. To give the water a rotary motion he had inserted a helical piece of angle iron, and so prevented deposition. * * * * * DANGER FROM LIGHTNING IN BLASTING.