DOCK BURST

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160731, 18 August 1920, Page 4

DOCK BURST

AVALANCHE OF SHIPS. LIVERPOOL, rune 7. Within sight of hundreds of passengers in the Mersey ferry boats yesterday, the 500-tan steamship Countess, of Glasgow, was seen to burst the gates of the Alfred Dock, Birkenhead, and to come head doAvn into the river, folloAved by a cataract of released Avater, on which sixteen smaller vessels were tossed like corks and sunk. The los.-; will l>e about ,£1,000,000. At the moment it is not clear if any lives AA'ere lost. When the event occurred it Avas about three hours from high tide, and the Countess was riding in the Alfred Dock Availing until the rise of Avater Avould enable the dock gates to bo opened so that she could pass out into the river. The level of the water in the dock was then LTt higher than tide, level in' the river. II was the “thirty feet gate/' one of four spanning the openings to this important dock system, which Avas involved. Behind lay all manner of craft, from liners to steam tugs, barges, and flats.

Without Avaniiug the Countess struck the gate, smashed it to -matchwood, v'ent head Uoavu over the 12ft waterfall, righted herself as if by a miracle, cut in halves a largo barge lying outside, and plunged into mid-river, to the consternation of ferry lioat passengers and the skippers of other vessels. A thrilling spectacle followed. People saw tho onrush of 500,000 tons of water tlirough the 30ft gateway. “It bubbled out like ciiampagne through the neck of a bottle,” was one oye-witness’ description. Barges and lighters Avere spun round and up and down in the Avhirl as if they were toy boats caught in a storm. Their rows were helpless to stave off what seemed certain destruction, and stuck grimly to their posts. Their craft were sucked into the cauldron and cast headlong into the river. “It made me think ■of pictures I have seen of shooting tho rapids,” remarked one young steersman, “and the plunge at the end Avas terrifying.” Most of the barges broke in two. Ten were found to-day at low tide, just outside the dock entrance. Apparently one had gone crashing on the top of another. Ironwork was twisted like Avirc. Many thousand tons of coal and grain comprising ihcir cargoes Avero piled up around them. As their craft sank the creAvs were thrown violently into the swirl. Nearly thirty men were rescued by tugs. Many men saved themselves by leaping from one barge to another before reaching the gateway and jumping on to the quay sides. Those who went over the cataract clung for dear life to the sides of the vessels. A man and his two sons were rescued together. Another man helped his brother to tho side until he could ho hauled to safety.

Two boys fishing' from ;i barge outside the gates were washed away, but the police cannot trace anyone missing. Another man in a lighter is said to have been droWued while preparing his meal below, but neither in this case nor in that of a man ■who was seen to be sucked under a barge can confirmation of their fate be obtained. They could have been rescued at any point in the river. The police have started dragging operations to see if there arc any bodies, but up to tho resent none have been recovered. Inquiries at tho Mersey Dock Board offices from the police and tiie owners of barges have not revealed any missing men. It is really a miracle if there is no loss of life. David Garnett, a lighterman, said: “As tho Countess came through the narrow opening she crashed against tho wall and made a hole in her stem. I thought she was going to turn turtle. It was a miracle how sho came through it with the hole in her stern. She just missed ‘.ho oil tanker, Sam Valero, by a good bit of seamanship on the part of that ship, and later went ashore at Traitmere, a mile farther down. The sudden rush of water from the dock placed the vessels moored inside in as they all touched bottom anct were feeling the strain. Emergency gates, however, were closed and shackled by a diver. In the river there was a trail of wreckage through which tho ferry steamers ploughed.