OUT OF THE DEEP

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17155, 4 October 1926, Page 7

OUT OF THE DEEP

LOST LORRY RECOVERED HOT GREATLY DAMAGED (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. After resting at the bottom'of the Wairoa river for two days, Mr. Harry Tapper's motor lorry was recovered on Saturday afternoon, not a .great deal the worse for its experience. . On Friday a 'diver in the employ of the Public 'Works Department wentdown to the lorry, which was lying in about I.Bft'. of water, and after some time was able to .attach lines to tbo front.'and back of the lorry'and get it ready for hauling to the sufrace. On Saturday, after the arrival of the Tangaroa from Napier, arrangements were made for recovering the lorry, the operations being watched by well over ICO Wairoa residents. The Til Atu, which was tied' to the wharf, attached one line to the lorry, and the Tangaroa, lying out in the river, attached another. Slowly but surely the lorry was raised out of the water between the two vessels. For ten minutes or more it was allowed to rr.main in the air while the water drained out. The line from the Tu Atl* was then removed, the vessel pulled, away from the wharf, and the Tangaroa then came up to the wharf and gently lowered the lorry on to terra firma once more. Credit is due to the officials of Messrs. Richardson and Co. for the manner in which the whole operation was carried out, without damage of any sort to Hie lorry. An inspection of the lorry showed that structurally it- had not been greatly damaged, although, of course, it is impossible to say what damage ha-s been done to the engine, which was hot at the time the plunge into the river was taken. The cardeu shaft was badly bent, this apparently having come into contact with the edge of the wharf, and the canopy in front of the lorry was also'broken. Otherwise the chassis appeared! undamaged.