STAR OF CANADA

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10686, 5 August 1912, Page 5

STAR OF CANADA

WORK OF DISMANTLING

(hy leiegrapn—P«vcc A «nciatiop.)

GISBORNE,-liais*. Night

- The water is steadily gaining in the ] stokeholds of t'lio .stranded vessel Star j .of Canada, and the London- Salvage Association, which body -had in hand the effort to refloat the vessel, has finally abandoned operations. The >task of refloating the big liner is now regrded as quite hopeless. - The salvage. tug Tcrawbite, which ■. has 'been, .busily engaged since » her arrivsd), a ; cou.ple of days after the disaster, will leave on her return journey to Wellington this evening. Practicably all'tthe punlips and salvage gear has ibeen 'brought ahsore, and preparation* for th edismant!!i>ng of the stricken vessel aire in progress, it being evident that a commenceTKipiit is to be made with the removal of the valuably manganese bronge propellers, which as a result of the submersion of the- head are atpresent about ■live feet above water. The heavy I'gea of the. past few days, which put a .final veto on all hqpeg of refloating the j'slvip lias now moderated a good deal. The' wreckers should have a spell of ■colm weaHher in which to pursue their operaticfcls. How much of the vessel, '-which is now of course-entirely devoid :of cargo, it wiM be' po&siblle to .save, is of courts a matter of pure conjecture. The engines, which are still gloaming bright and polished in the engine-room, with the water in the adjacent stokehold slowly bint surely creeping up, i'orm a .strrt-rr and rather patheflic contrast to the general untidiness of the dirty 'and .littered deck of the battered steamer. The engines are of great value, but it is doubtful whether it will' b? possible to arrange 'Lifting apparatus of sufficient capacity to remove the heavy cylinders, though of emirs.? the fittings' wii'l be taken out piecemeal. It is not possible fr* tilie mealtime to ascertain the cf the pos--sel, and the price paid, but it is generally understood tho<t Messrp J. Niveli and Co. have bmitrjit the ship. It is understood that the officer.? and eng'i''.iepi'.s wi'il lei.ve f'orHome by the fitai- ofScnt.la.nd, whkih call's at Gisborno shortlv.