VOYAGE ON HALF A LINER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2123, 4 July 1907, Page 4

VOYAGE ON HALF A LINER.

S.S. SUEVIC IN DOCK. The salved portion of the White Star liner Suevic arrived at her berth in Southampton Docks at midday on 4tli April (says the special correspondent of the Standard), after a voyage -of about 170 miles', occupying over 50 hours. A largo crowd had assembled in the vicinity of her berth, but the public were rigorously excluded, only a few privileged persons, including Lord Pirrie, the chairman of Messrs. Harland and Wolff, Mr. P. E. Currie, of the American line, and Mr. Blake, the assistant engineering superintendent. of the White Star line, being permitted to board the vessel. THE WATCHERS. The vessel and her escort of tugs were expected to arrive in Southampton Water shortly after midnight, and anxious watchers who had been on the lookout left the docks to snatch a few hours’ rest before her arrival. At 3 o’clock in the morning, however, no fresh news had been received from any of the signalling stations, and fears were expressed on all sides that some hitch had occurred. 'These fears were strengthened when it became known that two additional tugs had left to render assistance. - It was thought that the unwieldiness of the Suevic and the difficulty of steering her through the intricate Clia.in 1 had resulted in her running aground on one of the many shoals. By this time heavy rain squalls, accompanied by a dense mist, had set hi, and the dawn looked far from promising. Por hours the watchers paced the docks, vainly attempting to pierce the irut

with ' binoculars, and still no nows came to- hand. At length the first icrossrChamiol boat to arrive brought tho. welcome, news, that tho Suovic and, hor tugs, had been sighted off.-iho Nab Light, steaming slowly towards Southampton* and that, all was. woll.

THE FLOTILLA. Shortly afterwards, with the aid of a pair of powerful binoculars, aj glimpse of tho little flotilla was caught just oil' Calshot Gustle. - Coincident with the good nows, tho weather cloarod, and .soon, tho quays were -thronged—with—sailor-folk- and, dock-, yard nion, all anxious, to soo the 'result of what is regarded Vhy everyone Loro, us ono of, tho - most marvellous .louts, of salyugo ...and soamanship of recent years, liy half-past- 11 o clock sho came within easy ran go, and then tho motliod of hor homo-coming could

bo .nsfeedj First jSfimo tho two Livorpopl tugs, - Blazer... aid Horoulanoum, slowly- threading thoir way, with on-, gines -throbbing ‘and-' coughing, their short, squat, tunnels omitting donso clouds of black-smoko as thoy strain-ed-at tho massive hawsors stretching-, out taut between-them-and the buo- . vie. At first sight there seemed nothing very extraordinary in the appoaranco of tho vessel, except that sho was coming stern-first. As she drew nearer, liowovor, it was observed that there was a slight list to starboard, and that sho was inordinately short, with her three masts and one funnel. On either side of her. right under her counter, were the two Southampton tugs, which served as guides; and astern followed a couple of sturdylooking salvago boats. it was a painfully slow procesion, and yet it formed tho climax of a inagnilicont feat of salvago skill. On nearing the quay tho blue ensign was hung out ovor the storn, and the White Star pennon fluttered from the middle mast. UNDER HER OWN STEAM. A satisfactory sign was that sho was under her own steam, her propellers chunjing up the blue water as 6lio answered to tho manoeuvres of the tugs to got her in position alongside tho quay. Her decks were crowded with men, and on tlio stem bridge stood Captain Murray, the marine superintendent of the White Star line, directing operations. Gradually sho moved up the quay side, and at first it appeared as if the vessel had been cut clean through by some immense guillotine, only a couple of twisted plates standing out from tho side. As sho passed, however, and one was enabled to obtain a full view of tho section, the immonsity of tho work bocamo apparent. Tho place where sho had been bisected was originally one of tho meat holds, and a litter of twisted, contorted, refrigerating pipes littered tho espace, while the iron deck, with its gaping hatchway, sloped over as if it were about to slide into the sea. A couple of iron pillars, however, supported it, and after tho first impression of wreckage had passed, one could only wonder at the; immense strength of the whole vessel to withstand the repeated explosions of dynamite. There was oven a touch of beauty about this litter of bent and riven iron, for one of the main water pipes which supplied the ship had boon cut, and the rays of the sun glistening on the spray caused a beautiful rainbow to spread over the desolation like a halo. The watertight bulkhead had been buttressed, and so strengthened to withstand the pressure of the water from without. THE VOYAGE.

Captain Murray gave the following particulars of tho voyage from the Lizard to Southampton: —“Wo left the Lizard,” he said, “about nine o’clock on Tuesday morning. It was blowing pretty hard from the southwest then, and there was a heavy sea on; but we decided to go as soon as tho ship was parted, and set off in tow of threo tugs—the Blazer, Herculaneum, and Ranger. During that night it continued to blow hard from the south, but later in tho evening wo managed to pass tho Start Light. We wore going dead slow tho whole time, and by yesterday morning had arrived off the Isle of Wight. Tlio weather improved somewhat, but we thought it advisable not to come in with darkness, and timed ourselves accordingly. Wo. also had the two extra tugs sent out to help in guiding :the. Suevic up the waterway. And here we are-all:safe. .There was not a hitch the whole way' up f We came on slowly the whole time, never stopping, and wore under our own steam. No words of mine can express dully the excellent conduct of all concerned—and . you already know what the divers and salvago men accomplished. The voyage from the Lizard was quite uneventful, exeei>t that there was a, heavy sea practically the whole way.” In reply to a query, Captain Murray said that there were some 1700 tons of general cargo in tho salved portion of the vessel, and that it was in perfect condition. WORK OF THE DIVERS.

The vessel is practically a complete liner, with the exception of her bows. The men who accompanied her round from the scene of the disaster lived on board the whole time, eating and sleeping just as they would do on an ordinary trip, and the work done merely consists in strengthening the bunker bulkhead with huge pieces of timber. Captain McClelland, of the Liverpool Salvage Association, remarked that the salving of the Suevic was the biggest piece of work he had Sever undertaken. All the work had to be done from the outside, owing to the vessel being loaded. A curious coincidence of the salving is that the Milwaukee, which was salved seven years ago by the same men in precisely similar circumstances, being eventually fitted with a new bow, passed the Lizard while work was proceeding on the Suevic. The skipper of the tug Ranger stated that the Suer vie was lying on the top of a couple of previous wrecks—what they were he could not say. Describing the work of the divers, wliieli was exceedingly dangerous, he said that all round the wreck was a forest of seaweed called “kelp.” The long waving streamers of weed twined round the floating carcases of rabbits, ducks, and sheep from the dismantled refrigerating chambers. “The whole thing was just like a Christmas tree,” ho added, “but it hindered the work a lot.” Asked what was the reason for bringing the vessel to Southampton instead of putting into Plymouth as was originally stated to be the intention of the salvage people,, the captain stated that everything went on well, and- the vessel floated on such an even keel, that it was decided at once to go on to Southampton, where the cargo will be discharged.