THE ANTIOPE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3276, 27 December 1916, Page 46

THE ANTIOPE.

SUCCESSFULLY REFLOATED. The stranded barque Antiope, which has been lying aground in the Bluff Harbour for over three months, was refloated early on Thursday morning, and was immediately towed alongside the wharf, where she was berthed at 8.45 a.m. This news was received with the greatest eatisfaction in Dunedin and Tort Chalmers, both by the. owners (the Otago Iron Roller Mills Company) and the contractors (Messrs John Mill and Co.), and also by the Otago Harbour Board, whose tug Dunedin had crowned her first large salvage operation with success. In shipping circles generally satisfaction was also expressed. The engineering crew of the Dunedin commenced their work at 3 a.m. on Thursday, and by 3.45 there was. a stream of water coming out of the Antiope at the rate of approximately 11,500 gallons per minute. Tho tug itself was responsible for an outflow of' 9000 gallons, the remainder being brought away by tho llin centrifugal fitted on the Antiope'. To bring about the removal of these 9000 gallons the tug wa3 using 16 lines of 6in hose, which were attached to her pumps from the forward part) on the Antiope. At 4 a.m.—that is. after a quarter of an hour's work—the Antiope commenced to lift, and she gradually came to an even keel, until, by 8.30 a.m., she was afloat and moving. With the aid of tho Bluff tug Theresa Ward and the trawler Savaii, the Dunedin then towed the Antiope alongside the wharf, where a diver was sent down to make an examination of the hull. A large hole waa found in tho fore part of the ship under the port bow. This he plugged as well as possible with a bag of tow, which decreased the flow of water to a measurable extent. Later in the day arrangements were mads to patch this hole more securely, and to ascertain if there was a serious inflow of water in any other part of the hull. The performance of refloating the Antiope was most creditable to all concerned, and too hitrh praise cannot be bestowed upon the work clone by tho salvage tug Dunedin. especially in view of the heavy nature of the Ant'iope's cargo, which was principally composed of scrap iron. The vessel did all that was expected of her. It may bo worth while recalling the fact that the Dunedin was designed by Mr J. Blair Mason, and was built by Messrs Stevenson and Cook, of Port Chalmers. Sha is a distinct credit to local industry, and has established her capability to undertake almost any salvage operation. A pleasing feature of the salvaging operations was the unity of all hands in their l determination to get the vessel off.