STAR OF CANADA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8191, 5 August 1912, Page 1

STAR OF CANADA.

SALVAGING ABANDONED NO HOPE OF REFLOATING THE VESSEL. PBBSS ASSOCIATION. GISBORNE, August 4. The water is steadily gaining in the Star of Canada’s stoitehoids, and the Loudon Salvage Association, which body had in hand the effort to refloat the vessel, has finally abandoned operations, the task of refloating the big liner being now regarded as quite hopeless. The' salvage tug Torawhiti, which has been busily engaged since her arrival a couple of days after the disaster, will leave on her return journey to Wellington this evening. Practically all the pumps and salvage gear have been brought ashore,_ and,preparations for the dismantling of the stricken vessel are in progress, it being evident that a commencement is to be made with the -removal of the valuable Manganese bronze propellers which, as a result of the submersion of the ship’s head, are at present about five" feet above water. The heavy swell of the past few days, which put a; veto on all hopes of refloating the ship, has now moderated a good deal, and the wreckers should have a spell of calm in which to pursue their operations. How much of the vessel —which is now, of course, entirely devoid of cargo —it will. be possible to save is a matter of pure conjecture. The _ engines still gleaming bright and polished in the engineroom, with the water in the adjacent stokehold slowly but surely creeping up, form a strong and rather pathetic contrast to the general untidiness of the dirty and littered decks of the battered steamer, and are of groat value; but it is doubtful whether it will he possible to arrange for a lifting apparatus of sufficient capacity to remove the heavy cyclinders, though, of course, the fittings will be taken out piecemeal. It is uuders #jod that the officers and engineers will' leave for Home by the ! Star of Scotland, which calls at Gisborne shortly. ~ . ■■ Sunday, midnight. Tenders are being called over New Zealand for the purchase of, the steamer as she lies, with 130 tons of bullion, worth approximately £2600, aboard. In the meantime-salvage officers will stand "by, together with the ship’s officers and engineers.* The vessel’s own pumps to-night are' keeping the encroaching water in the stokehold in.check. Nbs, I,’ 2, and 3 holds are filled witn water and the deck is awasS amidships. The weather, fortunately, remains calm.