THE DREDGE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 360, 11 April 1910, Page 4

THE DREDGE

REFLOATED OX SATURDAY. The Harbour Board's dredge was successfully raised on Saturday afternoon. When it was first learned that tin* dredge had sunk there was some talk of sending for a salving expert, but fortunately it was decided to let Mr Henderson, foreman of works, try his skill. For the past week he lias been busily I engaged. His plans have ,not varied from the outset, but several times the I gear has had to be strengthened and i replaced, owing to the weight of the dredge exceeding expectation*. It was hoped that the air chambers in the vessel would have villained intact, and thus assisted materially in raising the vessel, but these filled with water, the result being that two (ran 1 * and tnclcje had to bear the strain of liftinsr fully l."> 0 tons dead weight. Tl>e refloating operations entailed a good deal of difficult and dangerous work oil the part of (lie Board's 1 diver. Air Henrn, and he managed it all very satisfactorily. It was an anxious moment when the dredge first showed above tiie surface of the water on Saturday afternoon. She had been raised a ceitain distance before, but the tackle proved insufficient, and she slipped back to her resting place in the sand, with about fourteen feet of water above her at low tide. "Will it bold?" was frequently asked. It held this time. As' soon as the deck was clear of the water fat about 3.30 p.m.) several of the staff jumped on to her and winced the Board's pumps and a counle of borrowed deluge pumps in position. By (I o'clock the vessel was afloat., and was then placed on the cradle for repairs. Mr. Henderson hopes to have her in commission again in about a week's time. Onlv the deck fittings' appear to bfc damaged, the hull and machinery being intact, with the exception of a <licrlit dent, in the hull op the starboard side. The refloating of the dre<l"e makes % abundantly clear that the wharf is very -tronclv built, 'or the beams bearing the wehht of Hie vessel had to be fastened to the wharf.