DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 April 1928, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association. CONCEALMENT OF BIRTH. AA'ATROA, April 18. ' This mol ing a young woman of ni ietoen pleaded guilty to cii.-kc.--!mern- ol l.irtli of a still born child, at the Public AVorks Camp. She xvas committed for sentence at Napier Supreme Court.

OTYRA TUNNEL RECORD. GRKY.AIOrm, April 18. Coal and timber amounting to 2->OO tons xvere railed through Otira Tunnel from AVext Coast to-day in ten full trains and constitutes a day’s record since the opening of the tunnel.

DISABLE!) ayiialkr. DUNEDIN. April 17. The docking of the disabled whaler ••c. A. Larsen." today at Port Chalmhers was the culminating point of successful salvaging operations. Since reaching Port Chalmers on Friday, her arrival draught of 2d lent has been gradually reduced until at 10 o chick this morning it stood at 18lt Pins, with 18ft dins on the harbour tidal guago. and the Hood tide three hours still to run. Nothing was lolt to luck. There was only a few inches of clearance when she passed in through the dock entrance, but she moved steadily ahead, until the big whale tunnel at her how occupied the space that had been specially excavated for its reception. At 12.30 the caisson was swung across the duck entrance, and the pumping out of the dock began. Ihe witter was gradually Towered as the afternoon wore on. and a film of whale oil began to leak from the vessel and soon "spread over the whole of the water in the dock.

At 4.30 the water had been sufficiently lowered to enable some idea to he obtained of the damage done to the vessel. She had a very heavy indentation on tin* shoulder of the starboard to the how. where she had been patch ed with heavy hoards and bolts in a rather remarkable manner by divers, who had to carry out the work under water. This damage, however must he considered its trilling when an examination is made of the bottom ot the hull. For two-thirds of the 520 odd feet of the huge craft—from bilge board to stern, say some thirty feet—the hull resembles a poughed held. It is torn, indented and jagged, and to a layman it can he hardly understood how temporary repairs could be effected. ><> severe was the damage. The damage is all confuted to the starboard side.

Mr M’. Crawford. Lloyd s surveyor, and Captain Coll McDonald went down to the bottom of the dock and were dimmed for some time examining the bottom of the vessel. They will n<»t. of course, he able to report to their principals for a day or two yet w nt they will recommend, that is, whethei temporarv repairs would be considered satisfactory and the vessel then to proceed to another port: or whether permanent repairs will have to be carried out at Port Chalmbers.