EFFORTS TO SALVAGE WANGANELLA

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5312, 27 January 1947, Page 5

EFFORTS TO SALVAGE WANGANELLA

! Press Assn,-

METHOD DEODED ON\ PAMAGED FQREPART TO EE MADE WATERTIGHT

-By Telegraph — Copyright.) ■

WELLINGTON, Last Night. Weather permitting, parts Oa the damaged forepart of the Wanganella will be made yfir aud water tight. As mtich water as possible will be.' pumped out and compressed^ air forced in. It is expecteid.that sufficient buoyancy wiH; thus be given to enable the * vessel to be salvaged. This decision was aipfived at this morning. A careful examination inside anff outside the hull was made to-day by the diver, John Johnstone, from Australia. After part of the ship %nd amid- ' ships had been given buoyancy by thc discharge of oi! and'bailast, holdS Nos. 1 and 2 were surface deep ift' water and 31 f eet deeper at highiwater than at low tide. It was. to give the bow portion as much coni-' pensating buoyancy >as possible that thc course decided upon (-was being taken. The decision ffid.de, all s]peed; was employed to get more gear on* hoard. Despatches from "Queen^s Wharf included acetylene gas and steaJ. plates for Use = in sealing the hole when all the water is out, or* as much as can be removed. ' All but one of the appertures will.be closed and compressed air pumped into the sfeel * chambers.- AmoU'gst the equipffient assembled for sti engthening the bulkhead between. holds 1 and 2, and 2 and *3, supplies ior the demolition party under naval ccntrol continue to come forward... The weather . to-night threatens rain after a perfect day, but* ihdicationa are for the -continued absenceVof; southerly winds. H Another attempt to pul! ' the .* Wanganella off by her own powef ' was made on Saturday evening. By' " then she was slightly lower in the' bow and had 22 f eet of water in the two damaged holds. The stern1 ' at high water rose slightly higher, more of her rudder being visibie. than two days ago. No tugs were used. Heavy anchors with the attached cmnplementary miishroom anchors attached to winches by six-inch cable were given a heavy pull but the attempt ceased after a short test. *