DAMAGED SHIP

Grey River Argus, 6 August 1940, Page 10

DAMAGED SHIP

“Armadale’s” Repairs WELLINGTON, August 3. The motor-ship Armadale which was damaged in a collision with the tanker Ole Jacob, in Cook Strait on Wednesday night,’ went on the float ing dock this morning. As the Armadale was moved from her berth at Aotea Quay into the dock she left behind a trail of floating bitumen from her damaged cargo. This spread across the harbour’s surface for practically the whole length of Aotea Quay. In the dock the greenishblack fluid oozed from the gash in the Armadale’s side, and big screens of scrim were spread across the surface of the water to prevent it floating out of the dock into the harbour. As the dock rose, however, great difficulty was experienced in dealing with the outpour As the Armadale rose cut of the water, members of the crew climbed down into the previously flooded portion of the hold to look for salvageable cargo. This was a precarious task, for ladders and hand and footholds were slimy with oil. When there were only a few inches of water in the dock proper and the last stragglers of large shoals of herrings had wriggled into the harbour, it was seen that the damage to the Armadale, although of imposing dimensions, consisted of a fairly cleancut gash—without complications. Cargo battens were snapped and bitumen drums were squashed.

One of the Olde Jacob’s anchors at present lies on the bottom of the Armadale’s hold, together with a length of chain. The tanker’s naked bow clearly saved the Armadale from being cut right through, for although she was run through almost from side to side a few feet below her deck, her bottom was barely damaged.