'THEY DID THEIR DUTY.'

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1806, 19 July 1913, Page 7

'THEY DID THEIR DUTY.'

ENGINEERS HONORED.

THE SALVING OF INDRABARAH,

The engineers of tlio Indrabarah wero tendered a 'complimentary rmoko concert by the Wellington branch] of the Marine Engineers' Institute last evening:. Mr. J. Cablo presided over a large gathering. Among tlio guests were members of bhe engine-room staff of s.s. Makorini, of the Tyser Line. In his opening remarks Mr. Cable said tha't the successful removal of the Indra"barah off 'the lUuigitikei Beach was prao tioally dua to the work of the engineers. Mr. J. Rankine, chief engineer or the Union Company's salvage tug Terawhiti, and vice-president ( of tho Institute thought-that thof engineers of the Indrabarah bad 'had a remarkably hard experience, They had # worked t day and night under very trying conditions. Ho went on to describe the scene "below, when the steamer was on the beaoh, in rattier vivid terms. He described staff working in an engine' room with rho pumps going at full pressure and bulkheads buckling before their eyes. At times the injectors and inlets were blocked and tho engineers wero compelled to work up to their necks in water to clear the sea connections. But with all .this in front of them they "tackled their jobs with true British spirit Mr. A. Walker, Lloyd's surveyor, also .paid a tribute to the Indrabarah s engineers. He said that, as soon as he hoard tjiafc tho Indrabarah had "good engineersV he felt confident that she would h& got off. He went on to refer to the frozen meat cargo, which, he said, was being turned out in excellent t condition. There had been anxious inquiries from England concerning • tho meat. Well, the fact was that, instead of the meat lookuig as if it had been in tho vessel three months, it had the appearance of having been in .the holds for only two or three days. • Continuing, Mr. Walker referred to an incident whioh had not so far been, reported. Tho first boat that put off from the steamer to the Terawhiti had been manned by the engineering staff. It was a difficult business on account of the sea which was Tunning, and to get a crew of engineers to man a boat and bring it back without thelosg of life, under the circumstances, was "it very meritorious In rising to respond to the toast, Mr. A. Morris, chief engineer of the Indrabarah, was greeted with loud and continuous applause. In a short, concise speech he apologised for tho absence of the fifth engineer. In common with oil the other engineers "the fifth" had maintained the noblest traditions of. the British race, and they all had simply dono their duty. , ' ■ Mr. Jackson, second engineer, and Mr. Young, chief refrigerating engineer, also spoko.