THE BESSA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 176, 21 April 1919, Page 4

THE BESSA

EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. ■ill danger of the sinking alongside the Queen's Wharf of the Norwegian steamer Bessa (5918 tons), which touched a rock while entering the port by way oi Chaffer's Passage on Friday night, was overcome during the week-end. Ino ship is now practically dry of the considerable volume of water which found its way into her forward hold through the starboard sido as a result of contact ■with the rock. After the berthing of the Bessa at No. 1 Queen's Wharf early ou Saturday morning, the water continued to gam a slight ascendancy over the pumps, and at noon the bow' of the vessel was drawin" 32 feet, about three teet more than at?midnieht on Friday. A diver was down nearly all day, and had good work to show for his labours., His first report as to the nature of the «In™P» 7 as . r f: assuring, for it was thought that the hull had heen holed. This is not the case. The extent of the damage is that a seam ot rivets has sprung, and all the leap have been located and temporarily packed with wood and other material, stopping the ingress of water. Between eight and nine o clock on Saturday morning a start was made to discharge all the cargo in Nos. 1 and - holds." Later, however, the work was concentrated in No. It hold, so that «a examination of the inside ot the lull car be made as soon as possible, ino oaroo stowed in No. 1 hold was mostly fy.' Sydney, but a quantity on the top was for Wellington or Lyttelton.' i his was quite drv and undamaged. The Harbour Board sheds for the berth at which the Bessa is lying were well filled, ana hev cargo is being transferred to J shed, Waterloo Quay. The discharge of car"o has proceeded continuously from starting on Saturday morning, two gangs being engaged at the salvage rate Ot wages. There are three shifts of eight hours, and the goods are being landed by sliii"s on to privately-owned lorries oiHarbour Board trucks drawn by tractors anl carted a fair distance along the wharves to the shore. The work is being carried out expeditiously, and there is a constant stream of wagons trundling forwards and backwards. Last .mgJit there was still a good deal of cargo to move, and it was expected that it would take until to-morrow to lift it all. JHe consignments stowed in the ho d are chiefly news printing paper, steel, and hardware, all.for Australia The water at its limit reached a height of 21 Wt in No. 1 hold. Only a slight quantity of water made its way into No. 2 hold. On completion of discharging No. 1 hold (before to-morrow night, it is hoped) a start will be made to effect temporary repairs, stable enough to allow the vessel to'proceed to Sydney with safety.. It is considered that they will not V> extensive, and, when they aro finished the cargo for Australia will he reshipned Last night the Bessa was much lighter, and was only drawing 24 feet of water at the bow. The absence of water and rne einptving hold accounted for this.