WANGANELLA'S DRAUGHT REDUCED 10 FEET

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5324, 10 February 1947, Page 5

WANGANELLA'S DRAUGHT REDUCED 10 FEET

Suggested Voyage To Australia Scouted WELLINGTON, last night Work on the Wanganolla cluring* the week-end resulted in ljringing the fore part back to a 30 foot draught, compared with 39} feet, after the No. 3 hold was floaded yesterday mcrning. The danger remains that should one of the air compressors t'ail, the ship may resettle. o The proposed movement of the ship to a new berth at Clyde Quay is doubtful at present. No. 3 hold has now been emptied by pumping and is under examination. Leaks in the inner skin are being stopped and the ship is afloat again. "Fantastic," was the term applied to-day in responsible quarters to suggestions that it was uncertain whether th€ liner could be repaired in

the floating* dock, or merely made seaworthy for a trip to Australia. It was stated that everything pointed to the necessity of having the liner enter the floatin'g dock as quickly as possible. Only hy this course would a complete examination of the damage be possible. It was nonsense to place the liner cn the dock for examination and remove her without taldng the opportunity to effec-t repairs. The known damage to the ship was very considerable and to make her seawoi*thy for a trip to Australia would be an enormous and perhaps an impossible taslc. It would be such a great undertaking* that it would amount to a complete repair pToject — not* merely a question of patching, but of restoratkm. Salvage experts from abroad had been greatly impressed hy. the good standard of New Zealand eligineering and engineers of the Harbdiu* Board stated to-day that the dock would he available to the Wanganella whenever the aecommodation was needed.