WHALER MAY BE DOCKED SOON

Levin Daily Chronicle, 29 February 1928, Page 7

WHALER MAY BE DOCKED SOON

HOW "CAPTAIN PREVENTED TOTAL WRECK INVERCARGILL, Last Night. Work ou the C. A Larsen is progressing rapidly. The timber ordered is being shaped to over the holes in her sides. The temporaiy plates will bp held on by the timbeis, and it is expected' that with the aid of her pupips she can reach Port Chalmers where arrangements have been made to dock her. It is expected that she will be able I to proceed north in about three weeks timo. Another medium-sized hole has been discovered on the port side slightly forward of the moat deck, but it can easily be i (-paired . It is stated that the vessel has sunk another eighteen inches in the sarin fonvard. \ A sailor, on board stales tlml if d ■were not. for the presence of mind of the captain when ,tho vessel ran ashore last week Hie hull would have, boon torn right out and she would have im nudialciy sank as soon as she touched Captain Noilsen put the enginefull astern and she came off to starboard swinging clear of the rocks as the head took the helm. It is undcrstoo/l the captain wisin-o to lay out all night instead of coming up the Inlet against slackening waioi but was advised by one of the owners who was on board to go straight up ti. the base at Price’s Bay. No marine inquiry will bo hold in New Zealand but there will be a pet functory affair, the principal enquiry being in Norway. The insurance corn panics arc all Norwegian. Those on board the C A Larson state that since the disaster star chasers have taken soundings all round the entrance of the Inlet and up to where the vessel now lies and have, found that the depths as marked on the charts are wrong, in some cases be ing as much as four fathoms out, the nearest to correct being one marked fourteen fathoms on the chart which was found to bo thirteen when sounded. Sir Janies Clark Ross sailed for Norway via Panama this morning ami will call at New York where the greatest pbrtion of her cargo will bo discharged. START ALREADY MADE LENGTHENING OTAGO DOCK. DUNEDIN, Last Nigh't A start was made to-day to lengthen the Otago dock in order to accotnnm date the C. A. Larsen if she is re floated. It is stated that representations arc being made from both Auckland and Sydney to have the vessel docked at one of those places. Shipping authorities point out however that the C A, Larsen must come to Dunedin for re {laif-s if Otago dock can take her as it would be foolish to suggest that insurance people would take the risk ot allowing the damaged vessel to travel any further at, sea than absolutely, necessary; The repairing- of' the C. A. Larsen, it.is.said, will be the greatest undertaking, of its kind ever carried out in the Dominion. Word was received at Dunedin to day that Mr. Plunkett, at one time Lloyds ’ surveyor in Auckland, nua been instructed from London to pro ceed to Jdtewart Island to assist in the salvaging of the vessel.