SALVAGE ATTEMPT AGREED ON

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22883, 2 December 1939, Page 12

SALVAGE ATTEMPT AGREED ON

• « CARGO CARRIED BY WAIKOU AITI SUCCESS DEPENDS ON CALM WEATHER CPRKSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) ' INVERCARGILL, December 1. An attempt to salvage ■ cargo from the after-holds of the. Waikouaiti Js being made this afternoon. , The oyster trawler Marina has been engaged for the preliminary work. It is proposed to run a steel wire from the ship to the trawler’s powerful winch. If the heavy swell makes this impracticable, flexible steam piping will be connected from thf trawler’s boiler to the ship’s winch. The weather remains ■ fine, and the sea calm, but if a storm'rises, operations will have to be abandoned. A large number of watersiders waited the call for salvage operations this morning, but after a consultation among the company’s representatives, union officials, and the chief officer of the steamer, it was decided to pdstpone the call to 1 p.m. Groceries will be easily salvaged, but difficulty is expected with the steel cargo. There is a danger of the hardwood timber breaking loose and being a menace to shipping, so endeavours will be made to form it into rafts to be towed to Bluff; Contrary to expectations, the weather so far has remained calm and should facilitate salvage efforts. A gang of a dozen men .signed on this afternoon to leave for the wreck by the Marina. Another gang of 12 -was told to be available at 4 o’clock to-mor-row morning if required. Four others were picked to land cargo on the wharf. Rates of pay agreed on at a conference of shipping representatives and the men were 12s an hour at the wreck and 6s an hour on the wharf. ’ ■Reports indicate that the ship is disintegrating. The foremast is in danger of going overboard.