SALVAGE OPERATIONS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12817, 17 July 1912, Page 5

SALVAGE OPERATIONS.

PROSPECTS BRIGHTENING

An interesting development m the •salvage operations m connection with tho stranded Star of Canada took place to-day, when the large collision mat, made by Mr J. F. Jeune, was brought into requisition. Recently Diver Walters has been exploring along the hull of the steamer, and has even ventured beneath the vesv -scl. Yesterday afternoon he passed some ropes under the liner, and this morning the large pad was drawn under the ship immediately below the bridge. The collision mat is now ready to be drawn along to beneath No. 3 hold. The big collision mat, it-he construction of which was, commenced on board the Star of Canada, has been brought ashore and taken to Messrs Dalgety and Co's store, where Mr Jeuno 4s now engaged* finishing it off. Operations are still proceeding vigorously m. -No. 3 -holdy and the grain has Tbeeir reduced to about half-way down the lower hold. Another two or three • days should see all the grain removed, and a start made to lift the 13,529 bars of antimony. •■' The water: m this -hold, continues jto be successfully coped with, and has been reduced from 20 t0. 25 feet, leaving about 10 or 12 feet still -to' be pumped out before the whole of No. 3 hold is^ dry. The height the water has to be lifted has been .divided. A cistern lias been constructed'' out dfuhatches m tli v 'tween deck, and into this one of tho large centrifugal pumps' lifts the \v;vter,|and two' other pumps are employed throwing it over, thp side of the steamer. This amount . of .. pumping power successfully deals with the water, so long as there • is no cessation m the pumping operation:- v Should >any delay occur the water makes rapidly again, showing that the i source from '••.which it enters is a capacious > one. Tho -water? lias an offensive odor, and it is suggest- 1 ed that : a large sof it eomesj from No. 2 hold where the meat .is situ-' atod, tho lower- bulkhead between No. -2j and No. 3 holds having probably sprung". Many of the sacks of grain 'that are now being (lifted are covered with papa silt^ indicating that the chumed-up papa -is. finding an entrance from somewhere. Tho bulkhead in-' the shelter deck that hits been constructed between No.' 2 and: No., -3 holds is holding well, there being' no sign of leakage. •• < • .■ ■ , The big hatch for confining the water to the lower deck of No. 2 hold has been constructed, but it is not likely to; be used until No. 3 hold has been finished with, and the dividing bulkheads strengthened. The Terawhiti is still assisting with the pumping work. The diver recovered from No. 1 hold recently a portion of one of the liners, used as a wedge where two plates over-,* 3a]>. This evidently dropped out" in conseo tence of the springing of the plates. Tho continuation of fine weather, and tho developments generally, are brightening the prospects of refloating the liner, am! c_ven some of those who were at first inclined to be pessimistic on the subject are now entertaining hopes for au< icss.

The vessel appeared this morning to have straightened up a bit, the list to jpoiu being much less pronounced. One of the pleasing feature:; if 'the \vh;.>le affair is that since the cuti.r.eni;cment of the salvage operations, when at times up to 150 men were employed, there- has been no accidents of ;i serious nature. On Monday o-:;nin», however, an accident befell Mr Fri-rs," one of the carpenters. He was descending the companion way, when ho fell, and landed on a bolt on the back of his head. He was dazed for a linje,, and ] received, a flight cut on the Wok. of his head, but he soon recovered, and was at work again to-day. .