ROTORUA PUTS BACK

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 10, 12 January 1929, Page 10

ROTORUA PUTS BACK

A LEAKING GLAND REPAIRED AT : WELLINGTON '■. When the . New .'/Zealand . Shipping Company's liner I:Rdtorua was.about 180 miles from Wellington at!B o'clock yesterday morning <a leak was found in the packing in the st'erh; gland ; of. the', star-, board propeller, shaft. ..After consultation it was decided, to return to port owing to the -inadvisability of effecting repairs at sea, and at 12 p.m. the ship was turned back to Wellington, Although a considerable amount of water entered through the damaged gland, two pumps were sufficient to control the inflow, and both engines, wore worked at their normal speed. On arrival at Wellington Harbour at 7.35 o'clock this morning the vessel immediately went .to her berth at Railway Wharf, whore a diver was in readiness to inspect the damaged gland. Later he descended and assisted the engineers, to remove the gland from the stern tube. r The operation was completed at 11.30 a.m., and the Rotorua resumed her voyage, at; 1-o'clock this afternoon. Although a leaking gland is not uncommoa, it is. the/first time that trouble has been experienced "with the Rotorua in this respect. The cause of the undue'wear to the packing is not known. On her last'visit'to England the packing in the stern glands-of both propellers was renewed. ■ The passengers were allowed« to come:.ashore at. Wellington this morning, but instructions were issued to them to return' to the ship at 12.30 p.m., as it was anticipated that the work of repacking the gland would take about four hours, •