“About this time (1632) Jan Jantz Nieng, a native-born citizen of this town (HOORN), invented the ‘diepmolens’. The first model, made by him, was 2 feet 6½ inches long, 9 inches broad and 6½ inches high; the measurements being taken over all.” This model was still to be seen at the city shops at Hoorn a few years ago. The model found by Mr. Kerkmeijer was carefully repaired by him and it is preserved at the city hall of the town.
Thanks to the kind assistance of this author, a few details can still be given in regard to the “Moddermolen” of Middelbourg, called “Dieplust”. These details were received from the chief of the Kool ship yard of this town.
The “Dieplust” extracted the mud by means of a trough with low straight sides, lined at its lower end with iron. When the boat was moved, by means of a cable attached to an anchor, the lower end of the trough entered into the mud as far as it could. The ladder of the dredge was suspended inside of the trough and to its endless chain were fastened pieces of plank of about the same width as that of the trough. These pieces of plank tumbling around a hexagonal or octagonal drum at the lower end worked down into the mud of which they brought up a certain quantity and discharged it through a hole at the top of the trough.
There was no question yet of buckets to bring up the dredged materials, these having only made their appearance with steam dredges.
The trough, with the ladder, could be lowered or raised by means of a windlass; it passed through an opening which was not in the axis of the boat. In the larger half of the vessel was placed the shaft which, by means of gearings, transmitted to the ladder the movement produced by the horses. These gearings were similar to those of the old wind mills. A horse power and a stable were constructed on the deck of the boat.
The Ghent paper Het Volksbelang published the Eigenhaard article in its issue of June 9, 1906. Some doubts are emitted, however, about 1632 being the authentic year of the invention, because the following annotation is found in the Resolutie boek van de Staten van Vlaanderen of 1628-1630, Fo 16 (Archives of the State, at Ghent.—No 553):
“Actum den XXII May 1628 wierd den Ingeniaris Adam Clippens, ghemaackt hebbende den slijckmeulen, gelicentieert en de gheordonneert hem te geven ordonnantie van betalijnghe den dach van merghen mitghaders hondert guldenen voor eene vereeringhe zoo ghedaen is geweest”[25].
From which it would appear that a mechanical dredge must have been built in Flanders in 1628. Hence the year given by Abbing cannot be correct, or else the same machine might have been invented at two different places at about the same period. The question is not yet settled, but, be that as it may, it must be granted that the first mechanical dredge was at work in the XVIIth century.