Last-Miute Dilemma When Seamen Strike

Chronicle (Levin), 19 February 1947, Page 5

Last-Miute Dilemma When Seamen Strike

?res» AssociaUon

rig areas of damage

By Telegrapn —

WELLINGTON, Feb. 18. At three o'clotdc this at'ternoon the Vanganella moved away from Aotea Quav under her own power while two tugs, Toia and Terawhiti, stood by. She was lined up with the floating doek and li'nes were taken ashore to dolphins by a pilot boat. Then by the use of capstans on the dock and her own winches, she was edged into position in the dock. By live o 'cloek she was made fast securely fore and aft. She was still' being kept afloat by air eoinpres sors in Nos. 1 and 2 holds, but the fact that she was safe at last could be seen in the relief that appeared on the faces of all concerned. "It was a magnilicent feat. of seamanship, " said Captain G. AIcDonald, Huddart Parker marine superintendent.. Captain I). Al. Todd, assistant harbour master, who piloted the vessel into the dock, has my greatest admiration. He .iccompli.shed the whole manoeuvre without the use of the tugs and the handling of the ship in those eonlined vvaters was a difficult task. No praise is too great for him."

Seamen Refuse Work But those on shore watching the operation did not know of the drama that was being enacted as the ship pulied away rrojn tlie wharf, occasioned by a lightning strike of six A.B. 's and three motormen, the only remaininy seamen of the Wanganeila's crew aboard. At 1 p.m., two hours before the Wanganella was due to move, these men refused to liandle the inooring lines. "Captain AIcDonald was faced with a dilemma. The eivilian labour on the ship could not be ur.ed as they were in sympathy with the seamen sq it was decided that the mooring lines would be handled by the ship's officers, members of the engine-rooin and a few staff assistants from the Huddart Parker Company 's offiee. The tug Toia pulied up alongside and threw a bow line aboard, but after some liarsh words had passed between ATr. E. Y. Elliott, Federal secretary of the Reamen's Union of Australia, and the tug's crew, they cast off and"withdrew. So with the seamen leaning over tlie rail of. their deck on the poop, the mooring lines were .cast off by the engineers and the vessel moved away from the wliarf. "The officers and men we used as make-shift 'seamen made a good smart job of the whole business," said Captain R. Darroch, master of the Wanganella. " Uven tlie tugs refused assist-aiu-e, but here we are in the dock at last." Soon after the ship was made fast in the floating dock the two divers, Alessrs. ,T. .Johnstone and D. Fitzgerald, went over. the side to examine the lay of the keel. Tlie xlock had been sunk to 2(i feet and thh'ship was drawing under 25 feet. The dock was slowly raised until the keel blocks came in conlact with the keel. DThe keel is sitting snugly on the blocks from No. 3 hokl aft," said Mr. Johnstone, "but where it has been damaged in the fore part it is more than a foot off the blocks in places. " The divers were given hardwood wedges and with these they went below again. It was a long and difficult job. Survey oi Pamage A£ 9 o'clock, with tlie keel of the Wanganella resting on keel blocks antl wedges, the floating dock at Weljington was raised the last few feet and the vessel came up clear of the water. In places the bottom looked like a sheet . of corrugated iron, and water and fue! oil streamed out of her from practically every part of her forward plating. The forefoot has been completely crushed in as if -it were silver paper. An anchor is- embedded in the plating and the whole is a mass of twisted steel and iron. A man standing beneath the bow looks up for nearly 30 feet to where the stem bas been crushed and broken off by the rocks. This section of dainage extends vvell back into No. 1 hold where the whole keel and bottom plates have been pushed' upwards and invvards. On the starboard side about ,30 feet from the bow is a hole like a dent in a tin can. In the port side of No. 2 hold a section of plating 20 feet Jiy 15 feet has beeii ripped open as if by a giant tin opener and forced up into tlre vessel. The ribs of the ship can be seen through the rent. Further aft on the starboard side is a smaller hole about the size .of a car. In tlie. tanks close to tlre keel the bilge keels on botlr sides of the ship have been badly damaged and bent owing to the pounding she received on the reef. The whole of the bottom plates are bent and torn and look like old scrap iron. Viewed from Ihe front the whole bow of the vessel gives the impression of having been twisted and forced over to one^ side. The ship looks twisted and battered. Tlre shattered plates aud large areas of buckled steel present a powerful and impressive spectacle.