SINKING A MINE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16304, 3 December 1918, Page 8

SINKING A MINE.

WAIMEA’S EXCITING EXPERIENCE. Captain Stuart, of the Anchor Company steamer Waimoa, 454 tons, gave a New Zealand Times representative an account of tho sinking of the mine by that vessel on the 31st ultimo. The Waimoa. was bound from Wanganui to Greynioutb, when at 7 o’clock in the morning tho mine was sighted abreast of the vessel at a distance of about 200 feet. I'lio Waimea steamed- slowly round tho dangerous object while the third engineer took a number of photographs of it. Unfortunately the snapshots proved a failure. The officers of the vessel then endeavoured with a service rifle to explode or sink the mine.. There was a gale blowing at the time and as the mine was floating deep at a distance of about 200 yards it presented a very small and elusive target in tho heavy seaway. Altogether 70 rounds were fired at the mine and yet it floated. Then the wire attached'to thimine was with cousiderble risk got aboard the Waimoa. The strong wind drove tho vessel along, although her engines were stopped, and this towed the mine astern. The ship’s gangway was thrown overboard attached to 50 fathoms of line, and it was permitted to collide with tho mine, but the long looked for explosion did not result. After having towed tho mine in this way for an hour and a half the holes punctured in it by the rifle bullets had permitted a quantity of water to get into it so that the dangerous object sank. Tho,tow line was immediately cut as the ininc disappeared into the deep. From the time tho mine was sighted until it sank was seven hours. It was considered satisfactory, however, by all on board the Waimea that the lengthy delay of the vessel had effected successful results, and may'have saved a vessel from disaster.