THE INDRABARAH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 20, 24 June 1913, Page 5

THE INDRABARAH.

' A PESSIMISTIC VIEW. Per Press Association. Wanganui, June 23. In the opinion of a number of Wan«anui people who visited the stranded steamer Indrabarah yesterday, the prospects of re-floating her are more remote than ever. The vessel's bow is only about five yards from the beach at low water. The,.beach for a mile or more is strewn. * it'll jettisoned cargo, which is being salved. Two lines from the stern to the anchors seawards are still intact and the port anchor is holding the bow. A steel hawser connected with the shore is keeping the vessel in position. STILL HARD AND FAST. TERAWHITI RETURNS FROM SCENE OF STRANDING. Early on Sunday morning the Union qompany's salvage tug Terawhiti returned to Wellington from the scene of the stranding of the Tyser liner Indrabarah on the Rangitikei beach (reports yesterday's Times). The Terawhiti has been engaged in connecting up the lines with the big anchors placed well out to sea, by means of which the Indrabarah has been endeavouring to haul herself into deep water by the aid of her winches. The officers on the Terawhiti attribute the failure to re-float the Indrabarah on Thursday and Friday to the poorness of the. spring tides, due in some measure to the wind being easterly and north-easterly, thus keeping the tides back. A moderate westerly would have ensured a much higher tide. The first serious attempt to get the vessel off last week was' made on Thursday morning. The Indrabarah hove with all her winches so as to turn herself j stern to sea. After a severe strain had been taken on the hawsers, two of them broke. The Terawhiti was then required to connect up the broken hawsers again. Another effort was made on the evening tide to move the big liner, but again two hawsers carried awiiy. The winches on the Indrabarah, hov ''n\ continued to haul on the rema' 'ig line which was attached to the aiK-: :i's with the bridle. At the finish of the tide the line was made fast. The officers on the Indrabarah computed that the vessel's stern he.d moved seawards only three degrees. The tides on Friday inorninjf and evening were worse, if

anything, than those of the previous day. There was a repetition of broken lines, and more work for the men on the Terawhiti, who re-conneeted the broken hawsers. On Saturday morning another futile endeavour was made to move the stranded liner. About 3 p.m. on Saturday, the Terawhiti was signalled from the Indraharah to proceed to Wellington. When the Terawhiti left the scene the , only lines holding the Tndrabarah were a 5-ineh wire hawser connected with two five-ton stockless anchors taken from the Star of Canada, and a s'/ 2 -inch wire hawser attached to a (1-ton mushroom anchor is about 700 fathoms from the Indraharah. The stockless anchors are situated about 500 fathoms from the Indraharah. There are four other anchors disconnected which are, however, buoyed, anil will he recovered. On Saturday afternoon a spell of fine weather at the Indraharah broke, and there was a fresh westerly and heavy sea. It is the opinion of the officers on the Terawhiti that the liulrabarah cannot be moved any further inshore bv the [seas, and given suitable weather, with high spring tides, the vessel can be re-floated. The Terawhiti will probably remain at Wellington for n few days before being dispatched a<jain to the liulrabarah, but nothing definite has been decided.