SALVAGE WORK ON WANGANELLA

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5325, 11 February 1947, Page 5

SALVAGE WORK ON WANGANELLA

WE'L'L UNDER CONplOL PREPARATIONS FOR TOI* TO CLYDE QUAY WHARF WELLINGTON, Last Night. "We now have .the Wanganella under i control, but there is a tremendous" amount of work to bo done on her yet," said Mr.,#F. Dilworth, British consulting enghieer representing' British underwriters' interests on the salvage opejations. "She is now drawing 28-feet for ward and 17 feet 10 inches aft. We still have U- reduce her dr&ught'to 25 feet oi- less." j Salvage work was beld ujo on Satur.lay and a part of Monday by the removal of some of the ship's store and- eauipment which were hindering 'ho men at work, The vessel is now being prepared for the trip acro-ss to Clyde Quay where she will he put or the harbour bottom and this afternoon, t)iver J. Johnstone was exaroihing a hole in the port side of No. 2 hold. "X do not think the vessel will be m a condition to be moved to-day," said Mr. "Dilworth, "but with any luclc avc will move her to-morrow. We are beeping the list on her purposely' to nrevent the water in No's 2 and 3 holds from Avashirig from side to side. We can put her on an even krel any time Ave wish. *'No. 3 hold is now neafly dry and ^Rhough the tank tops have beeii ,'orced upward.s to some extent the leak was so slight that it could h'e handled Avith one pump. No.'s 1 aiid ;2 are still sealed and kept full*of oompressed air which keeps the level ,of the water down in -No. 1 liold'to ;8 feet below sea level and in No, 2 to 7 feet below sea level." "••- In order to reduce the draught of Ihe Wanganella sufficiently to allo'w ihcr to enter. the floating dock it will jbe necessary to expel still more water from No.'s 1 and 2 holds. In [order to do this the vessel has to be heached on an even keel, when the spals on No.'s 1 and & , could be ibroken. This would allow men to i enter the hold and assess the damaged necessary repairs.^ . * Either patches had to be placjed jO"er the holes or coffer dams erected jin the inside. With thqse in place ' would be hoped ethat the ship would fbc sufficiently buoyant to* alloAV her|tc- be floated into the dock. 5 An interesting sign of lay opinioii, from the pessimistic rumours while ;4c liner was on the reef, to the ex--ccssive optimism now that she is in harbour, is provided by the numhers. ■oi enauiries for passages in the ship, jreported. Some people seem to think, ;'"hat tbe liner is already ship-shape :>md that the only preliminaries to a (safe and happy voyage are a few DPtches here and there on the hull, :fho tidying of decks, 1-ounges and ;-»hins, the replenishment of pro;^ri?ion's and congratulatory speeches.