SALVING OPERATIONS.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 6979, 4 February 1888, Page 6

SALVING OPERATIONS.

The purchaser of the cargo in the hull of the barque May Queen, Mr John Mills, and the* syndicate he represents, have joined with Mr Sinclair, the purchaser of the wreck, and his syndicate, and any conflict of interests is thereby avoided, and the work' of salving is now being carried on in the interest and to the advantage of both parties. Mr Mills is well known as a stevedore of much experience, carrying on, as he does, business in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, and Oamaru.and he is also local director of the Shire Line of Home steamships. His experience in a case like that of the May Queen comes in well. . He left for Dunedin in the Elderslie on Wednesday. Mr Charles Bradshaw is now in charge. He has bad considerable experience in salving cargo, notably in connection with the Tararaa, England's Glory, Northumberland, and other vessels. The salving of the present cargo could not be in better hands, and the purchasers are confident of saving every package; ih fact Mr Bradshaw says this 4s the easiest wrecking job he has had. With a gang of thirteen men he has taken up his quarters in the old quarantine buildings, in Camp Bay, which is. convenient to the wreck. Work-at the forehatch was started on Wednesday last, and by 6.30 p.m. the first lighter load reached port with a miscellaneous yet valuable cargo, which was transferred to railway tracks and conveyed to Christchurch. On Thursday night another lighter load came up from the wreck with a still more valuable cargo, consisting for the most part of wines, spirits and drapery, and another load was expected to come to hand last night. The whole of the cargo, it is thought, will be got out in three weeks. Two sets of diving gear with other plant arrived from the Bluff on Thursday in the s.B. Te Anau, and three divers, men well experienced in this work, also came up in the steamer, but diving operations will not be commenced until next week as at present the stevedores can break out cargo in the forehold at low water, and when the tide rises the gang can be employed in dismantling the vessel. The yards were all down.yesterday, and nothing further in that direction will be done save striking the fore and main topgallant masts. The yards are being.__ised for tbe purpose of erecting a platform from which the divers can work. Two divers will be below at a time, the third spelling one of the others at intervals.

The vessel is in exactly the same position she was in when the wreck was purchased, and as she iaon the bottom both fore and aft, no change is likely to take place for some time to come. A heavy north-west gale set in on Thursday evening, and continued to blow with considerable fury throughout the night, but beyond raising any amount of spindrift, it did not affect the sea, and consequently the vessel.