"DEBUILDING."

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 228, 25 September 1940, Page 5

"DEBUILDING."

BIG GIFT LINER.

THE STRANDED PORT BOWEN.

WANGANUI, this day. The -work of salvaging the Port Shipping Company's liner, Port Bowen, which has been stranded on the 'beach at Caetlecliff since July 15 of last year, is proceeding steadily and methodically. "Debuilding" describes the work more adequately than salvaging or wrecking, for the vessel is being taken apart rather than wrecked. The operations differ from those undertaken in the salvaging of other vessels which have piled up on the New Zealand coast, and they are highly important in these days when whatever can be recovered has more than a money value because material and machinery are difficult to obtain from overseas. The biggest single item of salvage ■will be the complete refrigerating plant, ■which will be installed at the Kikarila freezing works, near Feilding. These works were built and briefly operated during the last war and then were closed and gradually stripped. It is not at present proposed to reopen the killing sections, but Kakariki will give almost half a million cubic feet of additional cold storage space.

In October laet year the Port Bowen •was given up, though still uniholed and seaworthy except for easily repairable damage, and discussions between the owners, Wanganui Harbour Board and the Government resulted last June in the handing over of the ship, as she lay, ae a gift to the Government.

She was then empty of cargo. After a survey had been made by the Department of Industries and Commerce it was decided to obtain the services of William Cable and Company to demolish the wreck. The aid of the Public Works and Railway Departments was enlisted end within a month a jetty was built from the shore to- the boat, and an extension had been made to the (Jastle«Jif£ railway. Power and water were

taken from the shore, hoisting gear installed at two great ports cut in the hull, truck gear built for the jetty, and a gantry built at the shore end to transfer heavier weights to the railway. While these preliminaries were on the way the clearing of the ship had been begun. Fine fittings and deck gear went first. With the removable gear out of the way, the oxy-acetone burners got to work. The funnel was dropped and sliced into strips. The high bridge and officers' quarters were cut down tier by tier, and work began with the heavier decks. The biggest cut so far has been the severing of the 12in rudder pillar to free the steering quadrant. This weighs tons, and if shipbuilders in Britain want it ready-made it will be shipped away with accompanying steam steering gear. A good part of the steel plate to be recovered from the hull has 'been placed already; all of it can be used. Inevitably there will- be a considerable scrap yield, most of which will be railed to the Railway Workshops at Eastern Hutt.

Steel For the Armadale. One of the problems in the repair of the Armadale, on the floating dock at Wellington -after her collision with the Ole Jacob, was to obtain channel steel for the main memibere to patch the huge hole in her bow. The Armadale has first call upon channels from the Port Bowen. , Considerable tonnage of brass and copper tubing end non-ferrous metal in other shapes will come from the enginerooms and various ship's services, and there are miles of usable electric cable. The five insulated holds of the Port Bowen are lined .with fine Baltic pine, behind which is approximately 50,000 cubic feet of tightly packed granulated cork and silicate cotton. Even after equipping Kakariki there will be a surplus for similar use elsewhere.

There is water in the engine-room, but though, the six turbines have been half submerged for months it is thought that they will be sound and free of salt water, as they are sealed to work at high pressure. They and secondary plant in the engine room will be diemantled and poeeibly shipped away. The recovery of the twin propeller shafts will entail heavy but worthwhile pumping. The twin propellers are bronze, and worth big money as metal. The boilers will probably be taken out late in the salvage by cutting away the side of the boat and hauling and rolling them out. Here again ie big money, j