ENGINEERS' PLUCKY WORK.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12145, 31 August 1908, Page 5

ENGINEERS' PLUCKY WORK.

HOW THE DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED.

Received August. 31, 12.41 a.m

SYDNEY, August 30,

After the second vessel left the Hawea continued to drift. On August 12tii tho wind increased to a gale, the ship rodo it out broadside on, with all avaiL ablo sail sot to westward, but the vessel began driving eastward On the 16th August the wind came from the northwest and the sails being stowed prevented the boat from going further enst.. A spell of fine weather set in, and the engineers set to work to try and replace a coupling on the broken shaft. They had to work waist deep^, in the water. By means of steel hawsers tho propeller was worked into position. The engineers were called upon to do a dangerous task, but stuck, manfully to their work. When tested it was found to work well, but had to stop occasionally to tighten it up, and by tho 26th had the engines going. The vessel made three to four knots till picked up two days later by the Itakanoa. . ■ -: .■-■'-

If the Rakanoa had not picked up the Hawea she would have reached Sydney -fchrnight under her own steam. Chief, Engineer McLean and his assistants jafter, nine days' strenuous work were able to inform the captain that the ship could reach Sydney unaided. Mr McLean states that the shaft snapped during fine weather. There was a omiple of bumps., then the engine raced like sewing machines. The smash was right at the forward end of the stern tube. It was believed at first that they would be unable to replace it. During the first 16 days they had a lot of bad • weather'and could not get near the propeller. When the weather got fine they had ago at it. They first had to ; cut away the after cross plate, and had to manage with such tools as they had on board. Then they had to cut away the angle irons on each side of the ship, and after that had to cut away--18 inches of stern tube;-which was of iron, one and a half inches through. Following that they had to cut through four inches of stern bush, and eight inches of linor on the broken shaft. All this had to be done to carry the patent coupling. After snapping, the propeller had slipped back as far as the rudder would let it. The shaft had to be got back from the outside ,thls job taking two days.. Had the break been a little more, aft the propeller would have gono to the bottom. At length the coupling was adjusted and the vessel steamed 167 miles toward^' Sydney; when the Rakanoa picked her~up. They had a four days' job stopping"the leak in the main condenser.' trf repairing tho shaft the men had to work in from three to four feet of water. -The chief steward states he had a ' sufficiency" of provisions, but kept dowri'the'supplies until the vessel got under her- "own steam. They never saw^a' sign of a .vessel till August 26th, wiietf'Sri;American ship spoke to them the'mght before they fell in with the tug'Advaiiicej lcoTs;ina; for the Hawea. Apaffe 'from, the drifting all were comforta'bl^-' ' '