DEADLY DANGERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 February 1942, Page 3

DEADLY DANGERS

FACED BY SALVAGERS DISCOVERY & DESTRUCTION OF MINES. NEW LIGHT ON DISASTER TO NIAGARA. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WHANGAREI, This Day. Not only did the salvage operations in the recovery of the Niagara’s gold call for skill and knowledge, but the divers themselves, who were often in peril, required the coolest of nerves. On one occasion the bell fouled a cable on the bed of the ocean. Being unable to extricate the bell, the diver, Mr J. Johnstone, gave the signal to be hauled to the surface. Then came a revelation which tested the courage of the whole eighteen men aboard, for it was seen that a mine, with protruding horns, had become entangled with the bell wires and extreme care had to be taken lest the mine should explode. For some time tension was high. At last the fouling wire was cut. This however threatened to destroy the ship, fortunately without ' exploding. Going down in a diver’s suit Mr J. Johnstone cut through the shackles of the mine, which was destroyed by rifle fire from a mine-sweeper, whose services had been requisitioned in the meantime. The discovery of this mine was followed by an intensified search by minesweepers and in eight days over forty mines were discovered and destroyed. But for her light draught, the Claymore, it is stated, would probably have been blown to smithereens, for in her journeying to and from the scene of the wreck, she passed through what was a veritable minefield. The cause of the Niagara’s sinking, it is stated, was definitely traced to at least two mines, which disposes of any suspicion that the wreck may have been caused by an internal explosion. It is considered probable, that the Niagara, after striking one mine, made contact with another during her final plunge to the bottom. From the observation chamber of the diving bell it was seen that the main fracture was below No. 2 hold, the bottom plates of the ship in that area being blown away completely. In addition to this, a huge cavity extended aft from the lines of the funnels for about 250 feet. Had this damage been sustained while the ship was still afloat, everybody in the engineroom would have been killed instantly, whereas actually no casualties occurred. It was also apparent that the Niagara had broken her back, probably as the result of her tremendous impact with the sea bed, coupled with the explosion of a second mine. Members of the United Salvage Company Limited and the personnel of the Claymore consisted solely of New Zealanders and Australians. The Claymore was transformed from a useless hulk to a useful salvage ship, while much of the machinery, in the shape of grab derricks and hauling apparatus, was fashioned on the job or made in Whangarei.