THE PORT BOWEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 256, 30 October 1939, Page 6

THE PORT BOWEN

COST OF SALVAGE ESTIMATED HAS THE VESSEL BEEN ABANDONED? I It is estimated that more than £lOO,000 has been spent in an effort to sal- , vage lhe Port, Bowen and save the . valuable cargo of frozen meat, butler and cheese which was aboard her. The ; saving of the cargo justified the expense gone to. i What is to' become of the vessel is • still a matter of speculation. Unconfirmed reports state that the insurance company has paid out on the risk and the ship is likely to be abandoned. On the other hand it is a fact that an offer to get the ship off for £ll,OOO and deliver her in deep water, has been made. If insurance on the vessel has been paid out, it is presumed that she is now really the property of those who have paid and if she is got off the beach she will be taken over by the insurance company. It. is argued that, any effort to get lhe vessel off that does not involve the owners in expense would be worth i while, provided that the vessel herself is sufficiently sound to be made seaworthy for a journey to Wellington. Reports vary as to what the state of the vessel is. Heavy pounding on the sand has certainly not done her any good and she is leaking rather badly. Any effort to get into deep water must be made in the full light of her present, condition, which is very much worse than when she ran aground ;ast July. Meanwhile, an enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the grounding of the vessel is to be made. It will be hold in Wellington this week.