WANGANELLA REMAINS FAST

Chronicle (Levin), 1 February 1947, Page 5

WANGANELLA REMAINS FAST

-Bress Association

FIBSf Bllj ATTEMPT T0 REFLOAT IflP FA1LS

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Jan. 31. The biggest attempt yet to refloat the Wanganella, was made at 11.0,011 to.day but failed. At an inlerval in the e.onferenee lield subsequentiy to consider f'urtiier operations, questions were put t.o C.aptain G. McD.onald, of Melb.oiu'iie, rnarine underwriter and surveyor for the Iiuddart Uai'ker Go., who had comiDlete yontrol of the salvage operations. Ask.ed was there any sign of movement by the Wanganella in the direction required, he asnwer,ed: "No." The weather was all ihat could be desired, he said, and it was at the top of high water ihat tlie attempt was maehe. Asked how di'cl the sealing of the two forward hatches angwer, he said: "We can control that." jQuestioned whether another attempt of the same nature would iie made, he replied: "That re--nains to be decided." To a (piestion "wjll explosives be usedf" he said: "We have to go into that. We have not used Lhem so far." "Will caissons be used? wa8 another question, to which he said: "No. There are rocks in the way." Peri'eet salvage weather ruled this morning. High tide waS at 1.1.50 a.m. The tugs Toia, Terawliiti and Kahanui were in attendance. On board all work by the boilermakers had ceased. Lifejackets were availed of byrmembers of the crew. Conipr.ess.ed air apparentlv issuing from holes 1 o w in the hnll. boiled to the surface liere and there along the bow of the ship. Ever.yb.ody waited expectantly in th.e fresh northerly breeze which brought white caps io tiie crests of waves. There >vas practically no swell. At 11.20 a.m. the Kahunui uioved out to the starhoarcl quarter where she stood ready throughqut the succxe.eding operations. The Toia moved in on thc

starboard side7 pift a tow line on b.oar,d the Wanganellg., an.cl took the strain. The Terawhiti wah close up on the port side also with a line on board. Then the winehes started . to pull on the kedge anehors and tlj.e Wanganella 's propellers began to ehurn thc green water to white. A radial sw'ing was furnished by the Toia pulling from near the stern al-; most at right angles to the length of the ship, pulling the stern towards Baring Head. Success in this wonld have freed the bows pinched between two sets of rocks and swung th.e forepart qf the hnll towards deeper water. The Terawhiti, with a line attached about amidship, pulled a stern on the port side. Thc Wanganella 's pr.opellers 'seem,ed too high in the water to transfer the full ppwer of the engines and the blades threshed spray as they revolved. For minutes the ship appeared to be in a lake of milk, such was the churned eifect of the water. Subsequentiy the port propeller wept astern and the starboard propeller forward but no movement c.ould be effe.eted. Eventually the Terawhiti cast off and stood by with the Toia still . pulling staunchly. Ev.ery pound of steam was being used on the anehors. With the drive of the propellers varied several times, the salvage efforts continuecl but with no result. Eventually the Toia east off and Captain McDonald eame ashore with offieials of the compay in the Kahanui, bringing maps and technical clata with him. A conference 011 further operations was held ashore but apart from saying that' today was merely th.e hrst round of the fight for the Wanganella, Mr. N. D. McLean, Wellington manager of the Huddart Parker Co., said there was nothing to report.