THE EMDEN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8216, 13 August 1915, Page 7

THE EMDEN.

IN SYDNEY BY CHRISTMAS. Tlio Commonwealth Department oi' Defence has, as stated recently, accepted the contract oi: a Sydney corporation to raise the German cruiser Emden, now on the reef at Keeling Island, and take her to Sydney for exhibition purposes. The men who have agreed to undertake the work are Messrs E. G. Darnley, a diver and salvage contractor, Ocean House; E. Felton (Carlingford), G. .Richards, and C. Read. The lines upon which they propose to- work, as explained to a Sydney "Herald" representative by Mr Darnley, are as ingenious as they are interesting. When the Emdon was headed for the rocks Captain yon Muller might l had in mind some other * scheme than permanently disabling his ship. Mr Darnley thinks he had. From information in his possession of his corporation, it appears that the German pirate frequently ran his ship up on the Leach, and with the- falling tide turned the crew to scraping down the hull. He I was enabled to do this by the peculiar construction of his ship's bottom, which was flat, having been specially designed for service in shallow water. "There is every reason to believe," said Mi" Darnley, "that, given reasonable opportunity, Captain yon Muller would have backed away from the reef. What settled him were the final broadsides of tho Sydney, four of which pierced his stern. This is all the damage done to the hull below the water line; the plates elsewhere are as sound as a bell. 'What we propose doing, therefore, is to plug those holes with concrete, remove the smashed top-hamper, set the salvage-pump at work, and, with the assistance of a powerful tug, there is no reason to doubt that she will float off. From our reports Captain yon f Muller never once damaged his boat in getting her off a hard bottom, and with the latest appliances I think 1 can do the,same." Once afloat, the contractors intend towing the Emden to the .nearest port, land then, if it is found practicable, bringing her to Sydney under her own steam. It is impossible to bring her in i the condition she lies now. The funnels and smasljed. deck.: hamper would carry I away with the first, blow, and these, therefore, must be transformed to the (salvage vessel. The CMmmomvealtb Government has reserved the right to purchase the Emden on her arrival at Sydney at a price fixed by arbitration. Mr Darnloy, who gained his divine experience with tho C.P.It, in Nova Scotia, hopes to have the Emden in Farm Cove by Christmas.