DEMOLISHING THE OLD STEAMER BREEZE

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22269, 7 December 1937, Page 16

DEMOLISHING THE OLD STEAMER BREEZE

♦ MILITARY MAY YET HAVE ITS CHANCE The Steel hulk of the steamer Breeze, which now lies in shallow water in North-west Bay, Lyttelton harbour may yet provide the Third Field Company of Engineers with practice in demolition by explosives. Members of the Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday seemed a little inclined to regret the firmness with which the responsibility for damage arising from the proposed demolition had been placed on the Defence Department, and the chairman of the board (Mr R. T. McMillan) was authorised to go into the matter with the department again. Mr F. E. Sutton expressed the view that the board should have allowed the department to go on with its proposal. In its present position the Breeze was i certainly no danger to navigation, but | in the future it might open up or slip 1 into deeper water, or its boiler might go adrift. Presumably the department would have used enough explosive to "make a job of it," and while there would be some risk of damage to craft from the debris of the vessel he thought a bigger risk was being taken in allowing the Breeze to remain as at present. , . Smiles went around the board when the secretary (Mr C. H. Clibborn) read the letter that had been sent to the Defence Department. It was a fairly long letter, phrased in legal terminology, and it made it quite clear that should any craft in the harbour suffer damage from contact with debris displaced from the wreck, the board would not be responsible and any claims would presumably lie against the Crown. Mr McMillan said it might be a little unfortunate that the conditions had been made so drastic. "There are demolitions and demolitions," remarked Mr H. M. Chrystall. "They could probably put enough explosive, to blow her to A'karoa, but there is not likely to be anything of that sort." On Mr Sutton's suggestion the chairman was authorised to negotiate further with the Defence Department.

A novel presentation was made to a dog, well known to Aucklanders for his association with street appeals, at the annual meeting of the Auckland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The dog, Mr E. Whiteley's Great Dane Tony, was led to the dais, on which officials of the society were seated, and Mrs Spencer R. Mason, wife of the president, tied round his neck a silver medal, engraved with a dog's head and bearing the inscription, "for services rendered to the S.P.C.A. during 1937." A similar medal will be presented to Miss M. Caulfield's spaniel Jeff, which was not present at the meeting. .. 1 ' '.M'Hf'