SIGNS OF A HEAVY SEA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3578, 18 July 1912, Page 5

SIGNS OF A HEAVY SEA.

HOW WILL THE STRANDED STEAMER FARE?

A GROUND SWELL BEGINNING.

OPERATIONS ABOARD YESTERDAY.

The elements were kindly for the <L greater, part of yesterday to the ealy vagers aboard the stranded Star of Canada, and excellent progress was consequently made. In the morning it was almost perfect calm, but a long ground swell set in in the afternoon, and increased towards evening. Those who have experience of the sea predict that it is a. forerunner of a stonn to come, in common with the upheaval which is affecting several New Zealand ports, and has been specially severe at Napier- Should the prophecy prove true, it will not go well with the Star of Canada, for a very fire at deal depends on the weather conditions. Yesterday morning an early start was made, ,and it was a bus-- scene on board. The pumps were engaged on No. 3 hold, and a- considerable of damaged 'grain was jettisoned, although. it will still be a matter of a day or two until all of it is taken out. An inspection aboard was interesting, and disclosed that earnest attention :is being paid to the intended big ef-, fort to salve the steamer. The incline from stern to bow is as pronounced as ever, and at high tide the •stern draft is less than nine feet. The vessel is showing general signs of neglect—neglect from the usual oaTO best owed upon- a Home-going steamer. On the outside she !s -smeared and weather-stained, and, tie decks are littered with the materials necessary for salvaging. Tne usuajy brilBiant brasswork about a steaner is dulled, and a peep into the Various apartments shows the unkemp condition of things. There is the for nothing save salvage work, andall of those on hoard have sufficient o oc- - cupv their time, and more. I At No. 3 hold operations are pro- ] ceeding briskly, and it is evidemthat a good impression lias been lade. One'pump onlv is actually eimag'd in removing the water from the old, and it is now well down to a dist.nce of over 20 feet from the deck lc/elThis pump—a high powered centrfucral—takes the water into a suectdly constructed cistern, and froni there it is pumped to the deck. ohe wheat iba"s can he seen from the deck now. Thev are hoisted to the deck by a winch and into the hoppers, by which thev are towed further out to sea and emptied As soon as all of this lias been removed a start will be made on tlie unloading of the lead and antimony at the"bottom of the hold Within coo-ee ef the steamer there is a decidedly unpleasant odor, partly from the grain and from the meat m No 2 hold. v . . The bow is still dipped into the water, and the sea has free play on the deck. No. 1 hold contains a large amount of water, and nothing is being clone with the hold meantime. Conditions much the same prevail at hold No. 2, but operations at this hold will commence in earnest to-clay. The tug Terawhiti went to the starhoard side yesterday afternoon, and connected up one of the large pulsnmetcr pumps. This will be put into action to-day, and an attempt made to low-r the water. This is part of the scheme of operations, as outlined in these columns a few days ago. An important development was the placing of a bio- collision mat under the steamer from the stern in readiness for putting under No- 3ho d. This step will probably be taken very shortly. Provided that the securing and emptying of this hold is successful the steamer will then have a ore at amount of buoyancy. vnclei the present circumstances the; effect of this would probably be to give the steamer too much play, and it is toi this reason that a.start is-a bout to-be made on the second hold. If the holds can be lightened simultaneously the steamer will be raised with a P greater degree of ease, and there wd be le=s chance ef the weight of the swinging portion of the steamer acting as a lever on that part held l>v the uana Diver Walters is nutting m a busy time inspecting the hull- but the result of his inspection is being kept secret. What he has found, however, has rot beer, of a nature to deter tlie salvagers in their work. The steamer was rising yesterdov to the wound swell, more than has been noticeable for- some time, Jus probablv being accountable to the emptyiiv- of so much water from hold i\o. .\s to the all-important question, via., the obaive-s refloating the steamer, there is still great diversity of opinion, and a certain well-inform-ed section is as vet decidedly pessimistic. being of opinion that while there is just a faint hop-, the steamer is so severely shaken and strained that, it would cost as much as the value of a, new vessel to make her- again senworthv On the other hand it is quite obvious that the London Salvage Association’s officers; would noti - tinue to labor so assiduously if success was out of the Question.