IRON MONARCH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18582, 17 December 1934, Page 10

IRON MONARCH

I ; SAJPELY REFLOATED I INTRICATE SALVAGE WORK I NEWCASTLE, Doe, 3. wfi Ibv Steamships, Limited,.. ■ Which hadLbeen lying stranded on the Ireeta at the end of Hie northern l : b^^K^lwatoi , of Newcastle harbor since was refloated early this ifn<>jflit>#».(i The,Vessel was brought by RttHiifiHto Wie harbor, arid berthed i Wrfgrjit" Sto. 10 Dyke .Wharf shortly' I The ftftft} arrival of the 'lron Mon- p port represented the success-' I fuj outcome of'one-of the most intrigklviigft' itohin eyer undertaken, to BtfiffctcJi the ship, which was- heavily iron ore. Tinder the sftperI vision of Captain E. S. Stobo, salvage ■ officer -of 1 tiro 'Sydney Marine Under- ■ ■writers, 2000 tons of iron ore were ■'dumped overboard. Half of this qunnl.tity wus ."shifted by gangs of men jtdiTL^ho' 1 shore, who used great tubs tho ore. The other half was ißSppt^y-',the'steam. .-|frai)s of the tttajper IJirchgrove. While tho pi ( %of;was' being shifted No. I hulkEjfSbie'inrush of water oi; refloating, two holes made in the eol|HiilUis bulkhead when the vessel rtrOttk were blocked up. They were *rt«hed, and then four tons of WWmtit was used to cement them,

OPERATIONS SUCCESSFUL ;When bunkers were placed aboard the Iron Monarch by the Birchgrove Park, just before 8 o'clock last night, everything was in readiness for the refloating attempt, and tugs were ordered to arrive at two o'clock this morning. The Heroine and the St. Hilary were engaged on the job, and the pilot steamer Birubi stood by to play her searchlight on the bows of the' vessel. Towlines were attached to the Iron Monarch, the vessel's own enginos wore put hard astern, weight was put'mi the towlines, and at 2.25 o'clock the refloating attempt began. Within a matter of a few minutes the Iron Monarch was once again, at sea. ; Under escort of the tugs the freighter was pulled a little away from the harbor entrance so that an examination could bo rnado to see whether there was any clangor of her sinking while being brought into port. With navigation in Newcastle harbor only possible in channels, it was essential that no risk should be taken. If the Iron Monarch had sunk While entering port all navigation through tho harbor entrance might have been impossible. The results of the - examination' were satisfactory from the point of view of the navigation authorities. They had one moderately fjcrious result. When the vessel was first refloated she was making remarkably little water. Straining to the Slight swell that prevailed outside the port, she began to take in greater quantities, and there was hard pumping, as, with the Birubi'a searchlight still playing on her, , she passed Nobby's inwards. She berthed) l at

$.'45 a.m. Whilo at the dyke this afternoon' the vessel was still making water, and it was necessary to keep three Sin. pumps working t oovercomo the inflow.