THE TASMANIA WRECK. THE RECOVERY OF THE MAILS HOPELESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2274, 30 September 1897, Page 24

THE TASMANIA WRECK. THE RECOVERY OF THE MAILS HOPELESS.

Napibh, September 27. ■The Tutanekai re turned to port last evening. The attempt to recover jbhe Tasmania's m«ils was unsuccessful. May; the diver, reports that tbe hatchway leading 4° fc he mail room is blocked to the top level and to the deck with cargo, about 30 tons of which will have to be removed before accers can he had to the mails. The obstructing cargo consists principally of ca4ks. The work of removing these .would take at least several days.

During the time the Tutanekai remained on the «ceue the weather was fine and the sea as smooth as could bs desired. The diver found the sunken vessel to be on an almost even keel, having perhaps a slight list to pott-, but "he was able to walk about the decks with the greatest ease. Tbe masts are .still intact, -tho top of the foremast being about a foot helow low water, and the m'zzen a little deeper.

On Saturday the diver determined to try to recover the valuable jewellery belonging to Mr Rothschild. May first essayed to gain the cabin by the forward entrance, bnt after jetting along the passage about 30ft he found further progress impeded by a quantity of broken horse boxes end other immovahlo litter. He then made an attempt from abaft-., but here it was fonnd thkt the pressure of water from above had stove in the cabin ceiling and fitting*, entirely preventing an entrance bsing procured. On arrival here Captain Fairchild communicated with tbe Postal department, and it has been decided to abandon the mails. Wellington, September 27. May, the diver, informed the postal authorities that it would take at least a fortnight to remove the cargo so as to enable the Tasmania's mail room to be reached. In view of the contingencies of weather and labour involved, the department thought the heat course would be to blow up the deck and so release the c&rgo, but the purchasers of the wreck refuse to allow this to be done, and offered to make the salvage of ths mails part of their own operations to be undertaken shortly if the Government pay for the whole or any portion recovered ; but this offer was not of a character that the authorities , could see their way to accept. The recovery of the mails has not been definitely abandoned, ' but remains in abeyance*