WAIRARAPA SALVAGE

Shannon News, 20 November 1923, Page 3

WAIRARAPA SALVAGE

FORTY TONS COME !TO PORT.

VALUABLE METALS RAISED. A valuable cargd, comprising ' some 40 tons of metal salvage from the wreck of the steamer Wairarapa, at the. Great Barrier, arrived at Auckland on Thursday morning on the scow Katie S. The Wairarapa, which was wrecked at midnight on October 28, 1894, with the loss of 127 lives, had previously been located by -the*,salvage party, lying flattened out on a rock bottom in 12 fathoms of water. f • The most considerable items in the cargo brought in were the condenser of 6 tons, chiefly brass; four propeller blades, of .jyun metal, each weighing a ton; four emergency propeller blades on the ship of cast iron; and three lengths of the ship's propeller shafting, each weighing about two tons.

The partners in the salvage venture are Messrs W. E. Vear and J. McKinnon, both experienced divers, . and they have taken shifts of about four hours each under water in the recent operations, which- commenced on Sunday. Work was confined to the day time, when there was sufficient light), if the sediment,' etc., -were not too greatly disturbed, to .enable the divers to keep their bearings. The effect of ,the swing of a sledge hammer was .found to be greatly reduced in 12 fathoms of water, but dynamite,, which was largely used for blasting, acted splendidly. THICK MARINE GROWTH. The thick marine .growth which everywhere covered the flattened hull had first to be cleared away to permit 'the identification of. the various parts of the ship it was proposed to salvage. Previous to last Sunday a good deal had been accomplished in this direction, iand on Sunday blasting was commenced on the cast-iron: cylinder encasing the steam condenser. As this contained about 1700 ■pipes, all of brass, with end plates of gnu metal and cast-iron casing, the whole weighing about six tons, a special derrick and steel tackle was rigged, and the mass successfully raised.

Little difficulty was experienced in lifting the fouir propeller blades, each representing ,>a ton of gun 'metal, which had previously been blasted from the oast, iron boss. The bolts in the propeller shafting had rusted away, ■ and the three sections, each about 16ft long, 12in. in diameter, and weighing two tons, lay on the sea floor and wore easily hoisted. Perfectly, calm weather favoured the speedy despatch of these operations. The scow lay over the wreck as stationary a.s: if she were-in harbour. The ship lay on a' rock bottom, which made work comparatively safe and easy. CAST-IRON NOT GREATLY AFFECTED.

Among sundries salvaged from; the wreck were large quantities; of copper piping and valves, cast iron scrap, a few pigs of-lead, a mass' of cast iron, thought! to be the ship?s steering gear, including some brass work, and about 20ft of the main. 1 - steam pipe, 12in. in diameter, of copper. It was notable, said the divers, > that cast-iron was not nearly so susceptible to the 'action of sea-water as wrought iron. The ship's plates and frame were constructed of the latter, and were practically eaten away by rust, causing the hull to collapse into a flat mass. The cast-iron, on the other hand, was scarcely affected by its long immersion.

A search was made through: the debris for the ship's safe, but no trace of it was found. Lying on the keel were the remains of several horse skeletons, part of the cargo of the Wairarapa. About-100 yards from the scene of the wreck was found one of the ship's boilers. Apparently it had broken away from the wreck, and the action of the sea had rolled it along the sea. bottom,. It was resting on a sandy bed, and was full of erayfish.

ANCHORS FROM CECILIA. SUDDEN. Work on the Wairarapa ceased on Tuesday, >and the party gave some attention on Wednesday to the submerged hull of the Cecilia, Sudden, an American schooner', which went, to the bottom off Try-' phena Point. Great Barrier. Three patent, anchors/ weighing in ell about ?>l tons, were raised, ,>and aXso an oldstyle anchor. The Cecillia Sudden has also 2-40 fathoms of cable," .which will be picked up on the next trip.