TANNERS ARK.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LVI, Issue 8695, 1 March 1907, Page 3

TANNERS ARK.

Safe Arrival at Lvttelton

Felix Tanner, the builder, owner, and master of a queer-looking, barrelshaped craft, has arrived safely at Lytteltou from Kelson. The barrel is 14ft long, and the vessel herself :50ft over all, lift <>in m breadth and Oft deep. She was built of white pine, at Wakefield, twenty miles inland from Nelson, and Avheu completed had to be hauled down to the sea ou a trolly. The vessel weighs two and a half tons. According to the "Lytteltou Times," Tanner claims that his "Ark" is practically uusiukable, and that eventually all steamers will be provided with boats of a similar type in place of the present lifeboats, " Supposing, "he said, "that a steamer is going to founder. With the present system of lifeboats there is always a danger of their sinking or getting smashed up when lowered into a heavy sea. With my type of uusiukable barrel lifeboat, all that would have to be dove would be to put the women and children into the barrel compartment,- and put on the hatch, and then instead of lowering the boat over the side and risking getting her smashed up, wait for the steamer to sink, and the barrel lifeboat would float quite safely." "I have now been five years working ou my ideas, and I have spent £(iOO in experimenting aud bringing my bar-rel-boat to its present successful stage," said Tanner with pride. He states that the "Ark" left Nelson for Lytteltou on Monday, 11th inst. She. was six days drifting in calms, and did not clear French Pass until Sunday, l?th inst. Ou Monday last the vessel picked lip a northerly wind, aud reached Jackson's Head at 4. p.m., passed the Brothers' light at (5 p.m., and rounded Cape Campbell at 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The "Ark" was off the Kaikouras on Tuesday night, aud thence to within ten miles of Lyttelton Heads experienced strong wiuds and a heavy cross sea.