STRANDING OF THE KOMATA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2685, 3 February 1916, Page 6

STRANDING OF THE KOMATA

— HOW THE VESSEL WAS REFLOATED. Nobody was more surprised at' the Komata being refloated-, so easily than those on board and Captain Stott.and Mr. R. Paterson, who were, in-charge of salvage operations on behalf of the .Union Company. When the tug Terawhiti left the..Ko-; mata on Tuesday afternoon she looked a fixture till at least high water after 2 a.m. yesterday. As a matter of fact no attempt was to have been made till the Terawhiti bad connected up with her after midnight. The swell of the ocean, which had been'looked for iu vain all day Monday' ind .Tuesday, came up as darkness descended, and by 10.30 p.m. tho Komata became "alive." . The officer of, tlie •watch'-was wry alert, and; he summoned" all hands. /A .haul was made on the: hawser attached- to the big inus'hroom anchor, which had been previously laid by the Terawhiti, and strange to say the Komata moved _ .astern, a; little. " Orders were at once given -for the engines to go full speed astern, and slowly the Komata, by her own efforts,-slid off the rocks and floated in deep water.' Soundings were immediately taken, and it was found that the vessel's pumps, together with the two centrifugal punips -which had been "connected up. with the two fore-holds, were ample to keep the inflow of water down. When off Pencarrow Light the Terawhiti was met. She turned rouild and accompanied the! Komata .into'port,' and ' the:■ latter', vessel berthed at the Clyde Quay Wharf at an early hour yesterday morning. As soon as possible hulks were alongside,, and the work of discharging the 2oal was commenced. A diver went down several times yesterday to find out the extent of the damage, but it is said that this will not be ascertained till the Komata lias been placed on the Patent Slip, which will be either this afternoon or to-mor-row, as the opportunity occurs. When the Komata was coming up the harbour there was'about 13ft. of water in her forward holds. It has been discovered that the main bulkhoad, between No. 2 hold and-the'engine-room, has been started at the' bottom, but it is thought that' the ship is not very badly damaged.