Big Crane And Its Load Crash Into Sea

Chronicle (Levin), 8 October 1949, Page 5

Big Crane And Its Load Crash Into Sea

AUCKLAND, Oct. 7. Toppled off its balance under the weight of more than two tons of ateel plate, one of the Harbour Boards mobile cranes plunged with its load into 30ft. of water at the end of Queen's iWharf this afternoon. Its driver. George Grey, jumped clear as the crane began to overturn and remain ed uninjured on the wharf. A diver will inspeot the sunken crane tomorrow morning and if possible it will be lifted on to the wharf by an 80-ton floarting crane. I The mobile crane was one of a fieet used by the Harbour Board to niove heavy cargo on the wharves. Weighting 6% tons the crane was capable of lif.t-. ing 2$ tons. Today it was employed in lifting steel plates eacli 30ft long, and j48in wide an.d iin thick with a weight 'of 12201bs from a stack at the end- of the wharf oii to a lorry, At about 4.40 p.m. the crafie lifted a reported total^ |of four plates weighing .nearly 2 tons' 4 cwt. It began to topple as its job pieked up the load and the driver jumped clear, The hehvy plates fell over . the edge of the wharf and the crane was dragged across the stack of plates and the wooden wharf kerb into ■ the water* With an impressive splash nearly seven tons of metal struck tho j | water 's stirface and plunged to the j harbour bed. I