THE INDRABARAH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 7 June 1913, Page 5

THE INDRABARAH.

A SIGNIFICANT TURN

OPINIONS OF THOSE ON SHORE

(By Telegraph,. — Press Association.) PALMERSTON N., Last Night,

The latest news appears to indicate the conditions of a new stage in the Indrabarah's efforts. It will be remembered that in her quiescence she was lying almost broadside on to the shore in such a position that it was obviously impossible for her to pull herself straight out to sea. However brayely she might answer to her helm on' the high s<as, she certainly could not do it with her stem grooved in the sand. She consequently crawled away at a tangent, gaining at least some balance _of power from tho operation. During these movements the_ sea was calm, and there were comparatively no lifting waves to assist in her '''coaxing" work. Yesterday, however, heavier seas ivturned, and whether by good seamanship or by the unguided play of the waves, she turned her nose round straight out to sea. The importance of this swing appears to be this: that the Tndrabarah draws only 18ft of water at her bows, and 21ft at her stern. The expert view of the new position is not for the moment ascertainable. Some anxiety exists ag to whether the big vessel has a sufficiently good hold of an anchorage to keen her head out to sea against a gale if one develops. They calculate that the Indrabarah, by' her own winches, drew up to two of her anchors, and thug exhausted their assistance, and now has only two anchors to relv on. This fact, it is held, accounts for her making no further progress seawards during the last tide "or two. Rapid work is being done to relay the other two anchors, and also a big six-ton anchor; but this work will probably take several days. With these in position, shoremen predict a resumption of her efforts to 'creep seawards. Among, the less optimistic of tho onlookers is Mr Dalrymplo, who owns the stretch of beach on which the vessel lies. He states that the Indrabarah lies on a bar, or sand shelf, which extends for half a mile from the shore. Assuming that the vessel is half way over this shelf, she still has quarter of a mile to travel before she can drop into her natural element over its edge. Others are of opinion that the vessel has drifted in shore since, the heavy weather returned. Mr Dalryniple thinks that in any case three or Four weeks will elapse before the vessel will be afloat.

POSITION UNCHANGED

WELLINGTON, Last Night

The secretary of the General Post Office this evening received the following telegram from the Postmaster at Bulls: "The position of tho Indrabarali this evening is much the same a s at high tide yesterday morning, with the exception that the bow has swung round and is now pointing sunwards. To-day the sea has been considerable, causing tho Indrabarah to "come slightly shorewards, but she remains a quarter of a mile off this evening. This makes communication so difficult that no one on land can say with definiteness what will happen next. Probably a day or two will bo taken to re-lay the old anchors to get the latest ones into good position.