LONELY PHOSPHATE ISLANDS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1929, Page 3

LONELY PHOSPHATE ISLANDS

DEEPEST MOORINGS IN WORLD

The Man who hits the distinction of having laid tile deepest mooring/ in the world is jiow in Auckland. He is Mr 0. W. W. Cozens, marine superintendent for the British Phosphate Commissioners in Ueeun Island and Nauru Island.

Thirty-nine years ago Air Cozens was wrecked on islands just south of the Equator, and, niaklng himself useful to the people who were working in the copra industry and on the phosphate deposits, he has been kept there ever since. For 29 years he has lived on Ocean Island, with occasional visits to other islands, and his physicial condition suggests that it is possible to live a healthy life even within 52 miles of the Equator. He says that Ocean Island has an excellent climate with an average temperature of 85 degrees all the year round. As a senior officer in the service, Mr Cozens has four months’ leave every two years, and on the occasion of his present visit he had the pleasure of arriving just in time to be home for the 91st. birthday of his father, Mr George Cozens, of Albion Street, Parnell. Air Cozens, an old master mariner, can himself tell many stories of .he islands of the Pacific, having made business voyages there in earlier years. He is in good hearth and proud of having entered his 92nd. year. It will ho recalled that the deposits of phosphate rock on Ocean and Nauru .siands becanTb an Empire asset in i. 920, when the islands were purchased for £3,250,000. from the British Phosphate Company by the Governments of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. They are now operated i>y commissioners appointed by those Governments, and the results of this method of iidniinis; ration are said to be satisfactory to all concerned.

The deepest mooring in the world are at Ocean Island, Nauru Island and Alakatea, a French island near rahiti. Air Cozens describes Ocean Island as being in shape like an oyster, about the same size as Rangi.oto, and jutting up out of the ocean with no other islands in sight. “If you can can imagine Rangitoto with the top .knocked off it,” he said, “and rising to a height of 250 feet above the sea. you will have a fairly good idea of what Ocean Island i.v like.” WORKING THE STEAMERS. Cargoes of phosphate are sent to Australia and New Zealand ports in steamers from 5000 to 9000 tons register. Four, or five steamers arc dispatcliedi from each island per muinli. VV lien one of these vehicles comes to Ocean Island it is attached to the moorings at a distance of about 9toit. off the reef. Three or four launches and from eight to twelve beats, each containing large baskets of phospliatic reek then ply back and forwards between the is and ,ana the vessel, the baskets being rinsed by winches from the small craft, and emptied by means of a tipping block direct into the holds of the steamer. On arrival at the port of discharge ... . .us trail a or New Aeaiandrthe deposits are then refined int:; super phosphates aiid are ready for the open market. The slopes of Ocean Island fall away to the sea at an angle of 45deg. and ihe moorings have to be fixed where .he ocean is 254 fathoms deep—a depth of more tliu.ii a quarter of a mile. An interesting development is now taking place at Nauru Island in the erection by an Eng ish firm of a cantilever plant for the loading of phosphates direct from the island into the ocean-going steamers. In a short while probably later in the year, Air Cozens will be laying the moorings in connection wi.li this cantilever plant. They will need to be especially strong as the vessels will have to be held within 150 feet of the reef. “By this new method,” said Mr Cozens, “we shall be able to ship from BCOO to 10,00() tons of phospliatic rock deposits in -wo days as compared with about 4000 tons in that space of time under present conditions.” NATIVES AND CHINAMEN. On Ocean Island the output is from 18(1,000 to tons per year, which is larger than in former years. Some 600 natives and about the same number of Chinamen are employed, and in addition there are about 100 Europen officials. . Air Cozens says that the Chinese are good workers. The rock is blasted and dug out from the'quarries and sent by cars to the crushers and driers, from where it is shipped in bulk. Oil Nauru Island the workers are Chinese—about 1200 of them—and apart from these there is a native population of about 1200, and about the sane number of Europeans as on Ocean Island. The conditions of living and the climate are similar to those of Ocean Island. The commissioners have done nil hat is possible to make life pleasant. On each island is a tennis court well lighted by electric arcs, facilities for cricket, football, balls for cinema and other entertainments and all the ossentials for a happy, social life. ATr Cozens is himself an enthusiast in swimming, and he says that on a Sunday at Ocean Island as many as 10 men and 10 ladies have been seen diving off the springboards or sporting in the ocean. Although sharks are caught every day by the natives they have never been . known to attack bathers. The homes on the.se islands are of the modern bungalow type with electric light, ice chests and appoint-