HOPED MAY SAVE 50,000 BARRELS OF C. A. LARSEN’S OIL

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6543, 27 February 1928, Page 6

HOPED MAY SAVE 50,000 BARRELS OF C. A. LARSEN’S OIL

HARD AND FAST AGROUND No Difficulty in Raising Vessel if Weather Holds (Per Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, Last Night, There is no alteration in the position of the C. A. Larsen, which struck Faro’s Rock, Paterson’s Inlet, Stewart Island last Friday. She Is still hard and fast aground, but la is stated that providing the weather keeps good without a strong easterly there will be no difficulty in raising the vessel., Tho balance of her cargo of oil will be removed and oil tankers are reported to have been chartered for that purpose. Divers who went down at the end of last week had some difficulty in estimating the damage owing to faults in their diving suits, which leaked badly. But they reported that the ship is holed in three places, two forward on tho starboard side and one aft. The forward holes are large, being twelve feet by ten feet and ten feet by eight feet respectively. Tho hole aft Is about six feet by eight feet. The extent of tho damage to that part of tho vessel’s hull which is embedded In sand Is not known. As soon as the oil is discharged , pumping will bo proceeded with at full capacity and collision mats will be placed over the holes until the vesse can be taken up to a base out of likelihood of heavy weather. The Bluff Harbour Board’s dredge Murihiku, on arrival at the Inlet from Dunedin will grapple for tho anchor that was cut away from tho C. A. Larsen shortly after she struck the rock and will probably assist in pumping operations. Tho tug Dunedin is still alongside the damaged vessel engaged in pumping, though progress appears to be very slow. . Two divers went down on Saturday morning but as yet their report has not been made public. An interesting passenger on tho damaged vessel Is Mr Konpw, one of the directors for the Company who joined the ship in the United States. There is every prospect that about 50,000 barrels of oil will -be saved, the loss not being as severe as at first reported. The weather at Stewart Island was warm and fine on Saturday but is is cold and squally to-day.