LOADING OF THE GALLIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1920, Page 5

LOADING OF THE GALLIC.

PERIL OF THE BARGES. FAIL TO RE-ENTER WAITARA. The work of loading the Gallic in the Waitara roadstead was interrupted shortly after it had commenced on Thursday evening, and the experience which befell some of the men who went out on the first two of the meat-laden barges was not an enviable one. One barge had been unloaded by about 2 on Friday morning, when, in consequence of the state of the sea and the weather, it was deemed advisable to cast the barges loose from the liner and anchor them a little way off. After daylight the Gallic left her anchorage and stood further off-shore. The state of the bar prevented the towing steamer Wetel'e bringing the barges back into the river. There were three men on the barge which had not been unloaded, and two on the other one, and they took what shelter was available beneath the hatches, and subsisted on the emergency rations with which the barges were provisioned. On Saturday morning the Wetere was able to leave the river and picked up the (barges, but as the harbor-master, would not allow him to re-enter the river with the barges, Captain Berg decided to come on to New Plymouth harbor, which wits reached about 10.30 with a loaded barge in tow, the other having been left at the anchorage in the roadstead at Waitara. The men had been forty hours in the, barges, with no hot food or other means of subsistence except the biscuits and tinned shift's 011 board in case of such an emergency.

The Weterc returned to Waitars early yesterday morning, and the loading of the Gallic was proceeded with yesterday. The work is expected to be completed today, and the Gallic will sail in the evening for Wanganui and Lyttelton to complete loading for Home dmjU.