STILL STRANDED

Southland Times, Issue 25310, 13 June 1935, Page 8

STILL STRANDED

OMANA BLOCKS RIVER refloating efforts FAIL UNLOADING OF CARGO (Per United Press Association.) Greymouth, June 12 The Omana remains stranded on the shingle bank in the same river. All efforts to take her off last evening failed, and her position has not altered. A wire rope was attached between the starboard bows of the Kalingo and the Omana, with another run out from the Kiwitea’s forecastle head to the starboard side of the stranded ship. A third wire rope stretched from the Omana to the wharf. For two hours every effort was made to release the Omana, but the latter did not move. Another attempt was made at 5 o’clock this morning, without success. The tug Terawhiti, which left Wellington on Sunday at 6.55 p.m., but had to shelter from the adverse weather al Farewell Spit, has been ordered back to Nelson, and will return to Welling-

ton. , , , It is considered that the tug could not do the Omana’s, Kalingo’s and Kiwitea’s combined power has failed to do. , The next step decided upon was the unloading of 1,000,000 superficial feel of timber aboard the Omana. This would have been commenced this morning had not a dispute arisen between the Waterside Workers’ Union and the Union Steam Ship Company on the matter of the rate of wages to be paid to the waterside workers. The union is now meeting to consider the matter. A later message says that the dispute between the Union Company and the Waterside Workers’ Union with regard to the unloading of the Omana has been settled, and work commenced at 1 o’clock this afternoon. Two gangs are to continue till nudnight, by which time it is hoped that sufficient timber will be taken out and transferred to the Kalingo, now alongside, to enable another attempt to be made to refloat the Omana on the morning’s tide.