THE NORTHUMBERLAND

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 27 January 1927, Page 5

THE NORTHUMBERLAND

DEALING WITH THE LEAK.

THE PUMPS AT WORK COPING WITH THE INFLOW.

IBV TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) GISBORNE, Jan. 26. . The lightening oi cargo ircnr JSon>. 1 anu, O noiLis ox the r\ omiuiiiberia nci was interrupted at an early oiour this morning, and will not be resumed until t-iie pumps have been placed in position and have removed some or the water from the holds, 'the aTfiount of car go removed was comparatively small. _ the built oi the removals being made from the port-side m order to lighten up the vessel there and to remove the list as far as possible. This morning the vessel was riding oil a more even keel, though the list was still very noticeable. The skip was drawing about 191 feetat the stern and thirty feet- or more at the bows. Pumps, which were placed aboard last night and this morning, comprise the Harbour Board’s machine with a capacity of some fifty gallons a minute, and a centrifugal pump capable of 10L)’ gallons a. minute. The Koau brought from Napier another pump which is being rigged up this afternoon. The combined capacity of these pumps should mean that a considerable amountof water 'Should be removed from the holds by to-morrow. The task of stopping the inflow ot water has proved more difficult than was at first anticipated, for three iseparate attempts had to be made before the hole was fairly covered. The first attempt was made as the vessel was steaming slowly to Gisborne roadstead and the next late last night, after a diver had been down and located the gash in the bilge. These both failed owing to the non-rigidity of the mats prepared and to their moving. Another mat was put down composed of canvas with a filling of mattresses and a stiffening of hatches. This made a good job of patching, so far as could be judged, and enabled a start to be made with the removal of water from No. 2 hold, under which the damage was done.

PTJMPS COPING WITH WATER. GISBORNE, Jan. 26. The sea is still remaining calm, and work on the Northumberland is progressing satisfactorily. The water in No. 1 hold, which was 20 feet deep last night, was reduced to-day to 16 feet, but as .soon as pumping operations ceased the water rose again. The pump now is easily coping with the water. The ship’s pump in No. 3 hold is coping with the water there. In No. 2 hold 36 feet of water remains, and this evening the pumps are being fitted up to reduce it. A triangular mat which was put over the hole in the early hours of the morning crumpled up, and a new mattress of oblong shape, with a steel baton at either end, was lowered on to the hole. This has, -up to the ore sent, proved satisfactory. Pumping still continues. The removal of cargo ceased in the early hours of the morning, and at present it is considered possible that no more need be shifted. 'The ship still has a bad list to port forward. The tugs Toia and Terawhiti are expected to arrive at 5 a.m. to-morrow, when pumping operations will be started in No. 2 hold, where merchandise is floating about. The Northumberland brought to New Zealand 7492 tons of cargo. At Auckland, 3324 tons were discharged. When the ship left Auckland _ she had 922 tons to discharge at Napier, 1637 tons at Wellington, 943 tons at Lyttelton, and 666 tons for Dunedin. The greater portion of the cargo discharged at Gisborne comprised merchandise for Wellington and Napier.