POUNDED BY SEAS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20002, 29 July 1939, Page 5

POUNDED BY SEAS

STRANDED PORT BOWEN NO CHANGE IN POSITION PLANS TO FIRE BOILERS POWER FOR WINCHES (Par Press Association.) WANGANUI, this day. There is- no change in the position of the stranded Port Line steamer Port Bowen which has been ashore on the Castlecliff beach for 10 days. Reports were current yesterday that tire vessel had moved inshore considerably, but it is officially stated that the Port Bowen had not moved. The work was maintained yesterday in preparing for the firing of the boilers, so that steam can be got up to work the winches and generators and the refrigeration equipment. Further quantities of flexible piping were taken aboard to replace pipes which were twisted and fractured when the liner received a severe buffeting last Sunday-and Monday nights. —lt is hoped to have steam Up to-day.

The Port Bowen was pounded from stem to- stern yesterday by heavy seas stirred up by a strong northwesterly wind and it was not possible to use a lifeboat until the afternoon. Firemen Come Ashore A number of firemen whose services are not required have come ashore from the Port Bowen, but before leaving the vessel they were requested to make no statements about the stranded liner. Two -boilers have arrived from Wellington and wall be loaded atCastlecliff on to a specially-construct-ed pontoon. One of these will be placed forward .in the vessel and the other aft and will be used, if necessary, to keep the refrigerating equipment going. Tlae Wanganui City Council engineering department had a gang of men working most of Thursday night to build a road down to the sea for the carriage of heavy articles required for the salvage operations. Rough weather has prevented Captain F. G. Taylor from taking soundings around the Port Bowen. When the soundings have been taken the officials will have some idea of the possibility of refloating the liner on the next spring tide. There wa-s a rise of 10ft. sin. in the spring tide on the night the Port Bowen ran ashore, the height of the tide gradually falling each night after that.