A WAY THEY HAVE AT SEA

Hokitika Guardian, 10 January 1929, Page 5

A WAY THEY HAVE AT SEA

“If that had been done on one of tho big vessels crossing the Atlantic there would have been columns in the papers,” said a nautical man to an Auckland reporter. Ho was telling oif an incident that happened on tho last voyage Homo of the Federal cargo steamer Northumberland, which, it will be remembered, once struck a mysterious rock on the way to Gisborne and was afterwards repaired in Auckland. When the vessel was a couple or three days out from Wellington, bound for London, something went wrong with “St. Michael,” which happens to be the pet name of the port engine. Its twin, named, of course “St. George,” kept on. It was found that some 'at the blades of tho turbine had been stripped. What should be done? Should they return to Wellington, which would have meant delay, expense, and so on? No, the engineers pleaded for a chance to tackle the job. Tho heavy top casing of the turbine, weighing several tons, was lifted off—the defective blades were taken oil, the top was replaced, and “St. Michael,” if not himself again, worked as well as when lie was fully decorated, and tho missing ring of blades on that particular turbine has not been replaced to this day. Only engineers could appreciate the task of the Northumberland’s staff, but the landsman will appreciate the point if it is stated that the job meant three days’ hard toil, day and night. ■