AFLOAT AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 12, 15 January 1934, Page 7

AFLOAT AGAIN.

Heavy Cost of Docking.

BATTLESHIP NELSON.

Novel Manoeuvres to Release Gigantic Vessel. AGROUND AT PORTSMOUTH. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph-Copyright) LONDON", January 14. The refloating of the £7,500,000 33,500-ton battleship Nelson, which ran aground when she was leaving Portsmouth for her spring cruise, was accomplished after a scries of novel manoeuvres. It is no secret that the Nelson is a difficult vessel to handle in narrow waters, and moreover, Portsmouth Harbour is a tight passage for big vessels, though the fairway is regularly dredged.

Five tugs arrived in response to the vessel's signals. They itUelied cables and pulled, but the battleship could not be moved.

Then a flotilla of destroyers, coming down the harbour, were signalled to steam past at high speed in the hope that their wash would refloat the Nel-i son. The destroyers created great waves, imperilling smaller craft, but without result.

Next the warship's engines were put hard astern and the whole of the ships company jumped up and down at the words of command. This was without result. More tugs arrived with a dredger, which began scooping sand and shingle. Massive 16-ineh projectiles were unloaded into a lighter, and hundreds of tons of oil fuel were pumped into a tanker. The oil forward was pumped to the stern tanks in order to lighten the bows.

Admiral Sir Arthur Waistell, com-mander-in-cliief at Portsmouth, ani\ed ill his barge. Work was continued all day to lighten the ship, and at 5.45 p.m. the signal was given to run the engines astern again. The fleet of tugs pulled, someone yelled, "She moves," and the Nelson nvas again afloat.

Portsmouth in the evening was almost in carnival mood.

The Nelson had a crew of 1358 and over 100 officers aboard. Thousands of people watched the ship being refloated. The "Morning Post" says the Nelson must now 'be docked for examination. Tho only dock of sufficient size is at Portsmouth, at present occupied by the Courageous. It is understood that the cost of undocking and docking the Nelson would be nearly £10,000.

Tho Court of Inquiry will open at the earliest date possible.

The "Daily Telegraph" says: News of the Nelson's grounding will be read with amazement by seafaring men throughout tho world. When the accident occurred there was no wind or sea running. At one time when the bows were high out of the water, and the stern well down, there may well have been fears of the day proving disastrous.

"The result of the official inquiry will be awaited with intense interest, for the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour mustbo as familiar to responsible officers of the Navy as the road down Whitehall to "the little admiral" himself on liis pillar in Trafalgar Square."