RUAHINE DISCHARGING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8874, 27 October 1914, Page 7

RUAHINE DISCHARGING

SHIP ro BE EXAMINED TO-DA

Ul/KESB NOT SERIOUSLY AFFECTED.

Tlie Kind's wharf presented a busy upeeUclo throughout yesterday owing to the big Jiner Ruahino being engaged in discharging cheese from early morning to late at night. The nows of tho vessel having boon compelled to return to port owing to a leak caused a large Jiumlier of people' to visit tho wharf out of curiosity. _ Tho I’.uahiiio still has a eoueidorahlo List, which has beenslightly increased by the removal of 'cargo.

As to tho actual cause and whereabouts of the leak little fresh was definitely known lu«t evening. There is ft general impression among nautical pooplo tiiat tho leok was due in some way. to a meat port. A manual pump .from H.M.S, Torch was used considerably yesterday in No. 3 hold, hut tho 1 nak ceased in the afternoon as tho vessel became lighter. _ Mr I>. iC. Blair, iturveyor to.tho British Corporation, informed a "Times" representative that ho will fvtart his examination, of the ship at 10 o’clock this morning. Until tho examination has been completed it la impossible to state the cause ox the mishap. READY FOR SEA IN A WEEK,

"We expect tho Buahine to he ready for sea again about the end of the week,” replied Mr Cl. B. Bullock. local manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, on being questioned by a “Times" representative. "Tho -passengers can remain on board, and -there is jio apparent reason for a delay -of more -than a few days.” , ' Altogether up till 10 o’clock last night 13,000 crates of cheese had been discharged. The water had found its Way through from No. 3 hold into No. S 3 hold, and it has also Kot ipto the sifter end on tho port side of No. 1 Ihold. Some fodder tor tho 65 live sheep on hoard tho Uuahine. on their way to South America, was in No. 3 ’tween flecks, hut was removed undamaged. ‘The work of discharging No. 3 ’tween decks was completed at. 6 p.m.. No. 2 '’tween decks were emptied by 8,30 p.m.. and a considerable clearance has also been made in No. I ’’tween decks. A (Commencement will be made this morning on the discharge of tho lower holds «f all three compartments. REMOVING THE CARGO.

Mr A. V. llala Monro, wharfinger of tho Harbour Board, was ready at 12.30. «.m. yesterday with forty stevedores to 1-ecelvo and staclc tho cheese in tpe shed on the King’s wharf "and also in ;tc shod, as soon as it could ho discharg- , vd from the Knahine. Mr Monto, who wan on duty, continuously froan the mo- , 'meat the vessel berthed till 10 o clock ■Just night, told a "Times ’ representativo that at breakfast time he augmented his staff of men till they numbered fifty. At dinner time, despite the noliniav he secured another twonty-nvo tneri, and at 3 p.m there ivere a hundred workers on the wharf, trucking the cheese into the shed ,on the Bing’s ■wharf and. carting it to' the K shed. Mind stacking it carefully m tiers at (both sheds. ' ■ , . , Captain F. Jelly. head_ stevedore for the New Zealand Shipping Company, was also continuously on duty from the time the liner made fast till late last (Might. He, too. had a large staff of jnen handling the■ cargo m the ships Lid. The wharf labourers yesterday jecoivod holiday rates of pay—2s -d per hour between 8 a.m.. and 5 P-m. and 2s lOd per hour for time worked before « a.m. and after 5 p.m. ■ COAL QUITE DRY. The coal workers also had a good day s labour yesterday. Twenty men rd about . 250 .-tans of bunker- coal out {•f the Rtiahino's No. 1 and No. trunfe,W.ys in eight hours,- finishing the job about 6 o’clock last night. The men n earned from 35s to 38s each. The EnaJiine's bunker coal was supplied by the Blackball Company, and has been tomtoorataly trarisfarted to that company s hulk Eleanor Vernon- Conk-ary to xeiiort, Captain W'. J- ®iq»rs, of the Blackball Company, states that the coal taken out of the Buahino was quite iiry. ’ ' CONDITION OF THE CHEESE) AND BUTTER. All the wet cheese was carted to K ifiied, and is stacked in such a manner that the air can. got through it. The doors of the shed were kept open all night, and a watchman. Wee in. at., tendance. About 25 per cent, of the •choose that had been submerged was already dry last night, and it,-is hoped that nearly the whole lot will be reshipped. Tho damage to the checso will not he tomous if the anticipations of exports «to realised. There is every likelihood «f all the cheese drying up through' beiJW aired, and as it was not immersed long enough for the water to penetrate stho outer covering the checks will not ideterierhte to Any appreciable extent. It ean bo reconditioned and put in good iterder, exports state, without much difficulty. Similarly it is believed: that, the Jhulkl of the butter in the lower portion Wf No. 3 hold, although subjected to submersion, will hot be eeadously affected. ' Tho cheese in No. 2 hold is in fairly good condition, and it is aomeiwhat better in No. 1, bub iu each instance the port side of 'the ship was most affected. A dairy produce expert stated that a Jot of cheese which was taken out of the inundated holds of tho Kaipara, after feeing under water for a week, was dried An the sun and it arrived Home in fair •Condition. !

“COULD NOT HAVE GROUNDED." "Such a statement is not, worthy of W m omen I'a serious consideration," said l&aptam H. Johnson, the harbonrmasftor, in referring to the published ac?K)unt by a third class passenger- of an mllegedi grounding of the Ruahine when Reaving her berth at the Glasgow Wharf, Wellington, for London (pa Saturday. "As a matter of /act,’ continued the harbourmaster, "people axe too anxious to say anything they pan. against the Wellington harIxnir. The Ruahine was barely drawing 'IBOft when she left the wharf. There iwna 33ft 6in of water at the berth, and We have taken, vessels out drawing a« touch as 32ft. The statement that the Ruahine was stuck is preposterous.” Several shipmasters also expressed their astonishment at the statement that the Atnahino touched the bottom. Mr A. W. Bennett, general manager of ■dll.? New Zealand Shipping Company, jind (Japtaiu Bono, marine superintendent of-that company, returned from Auckland by the Alain. Trunk exprese oresberday afternoon. They immodinteljb Wnspocted the Ruahine. AT AC MAHON'S NEW THEATr/i. "Die big attraction at MacMahon's <New Theatre last night was a series of mew war pictures, showing the entry of the German Army into Brussels and the ruins of Tennonde. captured by the Germans. Magnificently realistic goenee are shown. The entry into Brits, eels depicts the remnant of the popu- , nation watching the victorious army, the roll-call of tho Germans, the operations of tho Rod Cross wagons, and the entry of the machine-guns. TerInonde presents a scene of desolation, UIOO houses being burnt out of a total of 1400 in the city. The entrenchments land (barbed-wire entanglements surrounding the doomed ' city are shown in detail. Battered dwellings, houses, shops, and churches, under which are 1 the bodies of 2000 of the inhabitants. - give a vivid presentment, of tho horrors «f war, Tho supporting programme included the pathetic slo" ’ of ‘Mane Eyre,” akin to, "East Lynivi'vTin its, appeal to tho emotions of tho ’.i..,-r .-ex- The sporting drama “The Winner.” and the Keystone scream “Mabel’s First Hero," axe both top-notchers. There will be a complete change of programme to-day.