TRANSFER OF CABLE

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1932, Page 9 (Supplement)

TRANSFER OF CABLE

TEDIOUS TASK COMPLETED. RECORDER AT AUCKLAND. After an absence from Auckland of over 14 Weeks, the cable steamer Recorder, still, despite her change of nairic, familiarity known as the Iris, returned to port on Thursday and went to her moorings at Devonpbrt. The work of transferring from Wellington to Auckland the New Zealand end of the cable that previously linked Sydney arid Wellington proved one of the longest and most tedious jobs ever undertaken by the ship. Adverse weather iriaUe the Work considerably longer than anticipated. The Recorder sailed from Auckland on the atferiioon of March 24, the day before Good Friday. The work of getting the cable ashore at MuriWai proved a most difficult operation, and unfortunately was not accomplished without loss of life. On the morning of Sunday, April 17, the Recorder’s whaleboat, in Which four men were endeavouring to land the shore end bf the cable, capsized in the surf and one bf the sailrifs, Mr. J. Tyrrel, waft drowned. The other three sailors succeeded in getting ashorfe With the aid bf a lifeline. Mf. TVrrel’s body was later recovered from the surf. Although the ship has been absent frir so long; shb Will nbt remain many days in port, aft she is to sail again shortly for the vicinity bf Norfolk Island, Where she is to effect repairs to the Norfolk Islaiid-Sydney cable.