THE EURYDICE AFLOAT.

Kumara Times, Issue 669, 19 November 1878, Page 2

THE EURYDICE AFLOAT.

[From the Western Daily Mercury, Sep : tember 2.] From an early hour until 8 o'clock on Saturday-night-a party of divers were employed on the Eurydice in repairing the damaged starboard bilge, preparatory to ah effort, to remove the wreck from off St. Helen's into Portsmouth harbour. It was found th it three strakes of planking had been torn away for close upon 50ft., and it was determined to cover this with canvas ha'ten* on the outside. Shortly after 6 o'clock this morning the tugs alongside the Eurydice began to pump her out, and by 11 a.m. she had very little water left in her, and soon afterwards she c mnnenced to float. A move for. Portsmouth harbour was then made. The Camel, tug, having in tow the. divers' boats, acted as pioneer, followed at about, 200 ya'ds by thefiiirider, tug, towing tin l . 'Wreck; which had the Sampson and.Manley.on her port side, and the Malta ,on h«r. starboard side. An ensign h id been raised on a pole on board th-i wivck directly she began to move, mid the-I'mging of officers and men also indicated that the work of the divers "had been su'c'essfiil. It had been decided to place, the wreck in Poichester Lake, in the upper part of Portsmouth harbour, and she reached the destination shortly before 2 o'clock. She was moored alongside the old Laurel, and in close attendance is the Swan, having on bourd two of Merryweather's steam fire-engines, to be employed in pumping should the wreck begin to leak. The Eurydice presents a sadly different appearance from what she did on the day she foundered. The hull is denuded of nearly all its paint, scratched and splintered in all directions, whilst uumerous planks nailed on- the sides for the-purposed repairing several" of the leaks are not calculated to add to her smartness. One more body was discovered on the lower deck, making altogether 130 recovered from the wreck.

The Eurydice court-rnartil, so far as evideuceis concerned, came to an end on Saturday. Mr Robinson, the chief constructor, Portsmouth dockyard, having given some further evidence, Benjamin Cuddeford and Sydney Fletcher made statements to "the effect that they had loved and respected the captain of the Eurydice, that they had had unbounded confidence, in him, and that they were sure he had the love and respect of every officer and man on board that vessel.