FINALLY ABANDONED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1510, 5 August 1912, Page 4

FINALLY ABANDONED.

NO HOPE FOR STAR OF CANADA. Gisbornc, August 4. The water is steadily gaining in tho Star of Canada's stokeholds, and the London Salvage Association, which body had in hand the effort to rotloat tho vessel, has finally abandoned operations, the task of rcilonting tlio ship, has now moderated garded as quite hopeless. The salvage tug crawhiti, which has been busily engaged since her arrival a couple of days after tho disaster, will leave on hor return journey to AVollington this evenins. Practically all the pumps and salvage' gear has been brought ashore and preparations for tho dismantling of the stricken vessel aro in progress. A commencement is to be made with the removal of the valuable manganese bronze propellers which, as a result of tho submersion of the ship's head, are at present about five feet nbovo watei. Tho heavy sw«H of the past feu days, which put a final veto on all hopes of refloating the shep, lias now moderated a good deal, and the wreckers should have a spell of calm in which to pursue their operations. How much of the vessel (which is now, of course, entirely devoid, of cargo) it will be possible to pave is, of course, u matter of pure conieoture. The engines still gleaming bright and polished in the cngincroom, with the water in the adjacent stokehold, slowly but surely weening up, form a strong and rather pathetic contrast to the genoral untidiness of the dirty and littered decks of the battered steamer, and are of great value, but it is doubtful whether it will be possible to arrange lifting apparatus of sufficient power to remove the heavy cylinders. Of course the fittings will bn taken out piecemeal.

Tenders are being called all over New Zealand on Monday for tho purchase of tho steamer as she lies, with bullion worth approximately ,£2GOO (?) on board. In tho meantime tho. salva.ee officers will stand by, together with the ship's officers and engineers. Her own pumps tonight aro keeping tho encroaching water in tho stokehold in check. No. 1. 2, and 8 holds aro filled with water, and tho deck awash amidships. The weather fortunately remains calm.