SLOW PROGRESS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20956, 9 September 1933, Page 13

SLOW PROGRESS

♦ NGAHAU SETTLES IN Mill UNLOADING OF EIG BOILER HELD IP It is unlikely that the Davis Ge!> tine Company's 47-trn bxljr, v..-.:- ~. was brought up the Su".*.r.c.- c-'.-.-"." on the scow N§.ahai: or. Tr.-rso..' , will be unloaded er.t.l es.-'.y r.e\: week, for considerable c.rhe.-.L'o' '-> being experienced :n g?v.::\~ '*e scow warped into t>.e - landing stage on the fcar.k i: : % - Heathcoto. An r::o:->p: -a:: r-..i.r.a last evening To get the vessel -. -~~- side on the high t:de. b.:*. was cDc. - - doned with the Ngahaj s-:.".l ;-■.-.: 30 feet away fror.-. t"*e bsr.k, - •"■'- firmly settled or. the ::-.-.! •:: l :c -'--i of the Heathcote. The contractor for the transport 11 the big boiler. Mr M. M. Wr',;':.:, said last evening that the tass involved in landing it was *-rovir-,£ more difficult than was at firs: expected. He had beer, told that tha Ngahau would draw only 4ft tn:% and excavations had been made irt the bed of the river accordingly. But when the scow arrived in the channel with the load it was discovered that the draught was a foot more, and more excavating had u be done. Nine men worked all day yesterday deepening the channel, up which the Ngahau was to be takerAttempt Abandoned. At high tide a tow rope was made fast from the vessel to a post on the shore, and the bow was held while the stern swung slowly round under the influence of the incoming tide. The Ngahau floated to withm 23 yards of the landing stage, where she grounded. A stem rope on to a winch, and another attached to a strainer on the shore were used to decrease the gap, and the Ngahaa made another 10 yards. But thenshe stuck fast on the muti bottom* and all efforts to move her failed. The attempt was abandoned for the night, and the men, who had worked for a time in the light of a big acetvlene lamp, were given a vtsz until the high tide in the morning. The Ngahau settled firmly in the mud as the tide receded, and at low tide to-day will be high as! dry. The falling tides are adding to the difficulty. A 20-ton PaiL Mr Wright said that if it mas found that not much headway bad, been made by this afternoon, extra pulling power would ha\-e tj be secured to aid in warping lite scow into the bank. The channel bad been deepened sufficiently, and it remained now to pull the scaur n the remaining 30 feet. He expected! that that would take some time, and it was possible that the boiler would be off the Ngahau early nest week. It would probably be Sunday before the vessel could be brought alongside the landing stage. Once the Ngahau is against the wharf the boiler will be .jacked up» !a bogey truck run in underneath it on temporarv rails, and the bode** lowered to the truck, which will then be run on to the tramlines aasst pulled along Ferry road by a trae- ' tion engine to Princes street. Woolston. There the truck- will foe takea on temporary rails to the Owns Gelatine Company's works at the bottom of Princes street. It is stated that the company Day import another boiler for the works at a later date. In the meantira* the journey of the boiler, now ne«flßa«r , ~ ily slow, is attracting a good deal of attention, and last evening: the bridge on the Sumner highway w*» lined with interested spectators.