SALVAGE WORK BEGUN

Southland Times, Issue 23989, 2 December 1939, Page 4

SALVAGE WORK BEGUN

CARGO TAKEN QFF WAIKOUAITI £lOOO WORTH OF TEA SAVED WINE, TIN AND CARPETS BROUGHT TO BLUFF Salvage operations were successfully carried out on the Waikouaiti yesterday. Quantities of tea, wine, tin, electrical equipment and carpets, 65 tons in all, were unloaded from the ship in the afternoon and evening. Calm conditions prevailed and the salvage, although all done by hand, was carried out without difficulty. It is estimated that about £lOOO worth of tea was saved. Today an attempt will be made to work the ship by steam. If that is practicable and the conditions remain calm it is probable that more of the cargo will be salvaged. Water has now entered all of the holds, however, and it is doubtful if much more will be salvaged before the weight of water in the holds causes the ship to break her back and slip into the deep water below her.

It was reported last night that there was no noticeable change in the position of the ship on the rocks, but according to officials who have made frequent visits to the vessel since she struck on Dog Island on Tuesday night it is feared that the first big sea will complete the loss. Twenty-eight men were engaged in the salvage operations, two gangs of 10 each working the ship and eight handling the cargo on the Bluff wharf. The Bluff Harbour Board’s pilot launch, two lifeboats from the Waikouaiti and the oyster trawler, Marina, were used in the work, which was supervised by Captain G. Campbell, stevedore of the Union Steam Ship Company, and Mr W. Todd, chief officer of the Waikouaiti. VARIETY IN SALVAGE Work was begun at the ship soon after two o’clock and at 5.45 p.m. the Marina was back at Bluff with the first load of salvaged cargo, the bulk of which was taken from No. 3 hold. It consisted of many cases of wine, ingots of tin, chests of tea and cartons of electrical equipment, including a big number of electric irons.

At 6 o’clock the pilot launch returned towing one of the ship’s lifeboats which was laden with cargo. Some of the cases were marked “Made in Japan” and probably contained Christmas toys. Later ■ loads of cargo included bales of carpets. Most of the cargo salvaged was consigned to Lyttelton and Dunedin, and a few cases were for Timaru and Invercargill. All of it was despatched to Invercargill last night for sorting. Two shifts will be worked today, the first beginning at 4 o’clock this morning. A punt will be used and will be moored alongside the ship. The cargo will be unloaded on to the punt and transferred to the boats.

High rates of pay -are begin paid to the men working on the salvage. Those engaged on the ship are being paid at the rate of 12/- an hour and those handling the cargo on the wharf are being paid 6/- an hour. Those wages were agreed upon at a meeting between representatives of the shipping company, the chief officer of the Waikouaiti and the Bluff Watersiders’ Union. It was unfortunate that the scow Hororata which was in Bluff for about six months bringing out the dismantled saw mill gear from Port Craig completed her job and departed for Auckland a few weeks ago, as this type of vessel would have been ideal for the salvage operations. The Union Steam Ship Company in Dunedin made inquiries for a salvage boat at Dunedin and at Port Chalmers yesterday morning, but was unable to find a suitable craft for the purpose. What was required was one with its own steam to unload the cargo states The Evening Star.