MONTEVIDEO'S SALVAGE APPLIANCES.

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 108, 3 November 1923, Page 16

MONTEVIDEO'S SALVAGE APPLIANCES.

.The-stranding-.of--no fewer than fiv» steamerß--the. -. Tuscany, ; Montferland, Rugia, Devonier";" aiid Caeeres—on the Uruguayans coast-.between Cape Santa 'Maria; and Floras JTslahd during" t'nVeale there, m theearly-part of July, has'raised-, the .question, b!- the inadequacy of! salvage;appliances vn-Ibc port bl M6ht«- I video -■-According to correspondent of. : .Lloyd's' List/" tp"principal causes[ ;Rt : -thß .-casualties 'an ■'Abnormal- 1 current landcnnveliaMe 'soundings. 'Ali-nve-!-vessels .are:now" high and dry oil' the; -beach, - juid>w>ne: of tlieni seenis ti> be i ■ very. sßrfoTislx.-amnagec|; but they werei driven. ashorfc--dunng: abnormally •■■ water,-and-n6w .'the "focal salva|^ ex-i. pei-ts;. are -faced - with--: an ■-apparently in- i soluble-'problerii:-Without the aid/ofan-! other gale' and flood similar to :«thoseV wrecked the. ships, the water isl not likely to^reacli them again, and'thel task of-:refloating"theni vrill therefor? be •exceedingly difficult/The meet direct method, undel-- the "circumstances would-be, of course, to cut a channel, through' the eand, but that would require sand pumps, and there does-not seeni to rbe any such thing available, '■ The' Montevideo ;port authorities are local monopolists/in" the matter "of L-craft -available for "salvage ■work,-:but it wojild-seem that inonfe of the vessels they -posseES are equipped with much' more than' ordinary- puinpg. . There is:practically nogear'in-:the; : port •suitable for tackling such a task~ at.the salving of" these' five steamers; three of which. are;on, the: beath inside.. .'Floren .Island and the^other two eastward ' ■ ; o t Xobos.:lsland. 'TOere-are; it;is "irue,..two divers ati Montevideo, but fn .this !caßß their services will not be of ;any-.use. Had the . sfcrahdjiigs - occurred. iuJ. the . neighbourhood of a port-well and'properly supplied with .up-to-date;,Balvage vessels 'and equipment,- these wouldr in "all probability, have long since • been; undergoing■■ repairs■ in dry .ibclc. To add to the difficulties, the Montevideo port authorities require a- heavy cash deposit bef<ii;e they, will allow-any of their, salvageoeq"jipment-to f"be ÜBed, nor will they undertake any; salyage •work 'on";a fixed agreeinenfci but insist on the; settlement being :le£t to local arbi^i tration<; after wards. This unsatisfactory : state of affairs has" led to tather strong ' representations being made by the local shipping community, if not' for 'the establishment of better Salvage facilities in . the port^-ari, event Which appears to-be regarded' ap--next" to impossible—at-least for the mooring of a- flight vessel' *oif ■Montevideo and i; two more the ' ■Mores and.;Lobos Islands in order fur thar to Bafeguard.narigation in- thc'eEtu- . arj\—.!'Syren and Shipping.'' .-'- v i :