NOT LAUNCHED.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 224, 20 September 1924, Page 11

NOT LAUNCHED.

IHE LAKE TAKAPUNA. A "DUCK" REFUSES WATER.

"Doesn't she look a duck!" Such was the exclamatlion of a lady who stood among a large crowd of people at Bailey's slip this morning to see the launching of the Lake Takapuna, the new steamer constructed for the Takapuna Tramway and Ferry Company. The Lake Takapuna certainly looked a "duck—almost a swan—lying so white and placid upon the slipway, ready to slide grandly into the water. But she proved a most unnatural duck; she refused to take to the water, although coaxed, urged, and even dragged part of the way. She still lies on the slip, a few feet off the water, and no further

attempt will be made to launch her! until noon on Monday. Precisely, at eleven o'clock, Mrs. R. Wilson, daughter of the chairman of the Ferry Company, Sir Edwin Mitchelson, smashed the conventional bottle of champagne against the inshore bow of tlie new ferry steamer, and christened her "Lady Takapuna." The new "lady" moved a few feet down the slipway, amid hurrahs, and then stopped dead. For three-quarters of an hour there was much hammering away of chocks, greasing of rails, and pulling of ropes, fifty men (not to mention boys) on either side. Then the duck moved seaward again, but only for a few feet. More hammering, mauling,. tugging, for half an hour, and" loud "hurrahs!" and cries of "Keep her going!" announced another move. But they

couldn't keep her going. To aid man-power, came the oil' launch Sambo, -o-many-horse-power, and in another twenty minutes, just as the ' tug Young Bungaree was backing into the bay to take a hawser, the reluctant "duck" again moved waterwards. Then slie squatted to her nest again. Then the Young Bungaree took a line across her tow-rail and went ahead to the full extent of her horse-power. That is to say, she steamed ahead, but she didn't make an inch of way, despite the assistance of the oil-power from the launch and the man power on the shore. The "duck" had stuck fast to her nest, and refused to budge. After another half-hour's strenuous effort, the attempt at launching was abandoned, in view of the falling tide. Another attempt to coax or force the "duck" to water will be made at noon on Monday.