The Full Story of a Perilous Venture Told for the First Time! way of No. 1 hatch at about bilge Tine, plating -dented and - rivets
hatch bottom plating dented and abreast No. 5 hatch bilge and bottom plating. shews paint disturbed only, elsewhere no. damage is apparent. The damage described the foregoing however was later fo id to be very' much more exten-
'The wreck of the N.D.LS. Derfilinger is too recent to need recalling' in detail. She stranded on the island of Siau-kung-tau, some 26 miles out of Tsingtao, on the afternoon of July 16, and after one of the most skilful and difficult salvaging operations ever seen on this coast, was towed into Nagasaki for drydocking in the Mitsuibishi Co's dockyard on August 28, 'The salvage party had to contend' with decks which 7 sloped at various angles the tides, deadly poison gas, and with being 430 miles from their base. Only poor labour was obtainable locally, and accidents with gas caused many a shock to the general morale. Yet in spite of apparently insuperable difficulties, the Derflinger was saved.
Shortly after the news of the! stranding of this well known mal and. passenger steamer reached Shanghai, Messrs. Wheelock & Ca. managing agents of the Shangh Tug & Lighter Ca. Ltd. were approached by Messrs. Melchers & Ca., Agents of the Norddeutscher Lloyd, relative to the despatching salvage steamer to the scene of the stranding, Arrangements were arrived at with the Shanghai Dock Engineering Ca. Ltd. for the two companies to work on this salvage operation in conjunction with each other as is usually done, and the salvage vessel Saucy in command Captain Josefsen, the company's salvage master, with Mr. Brede, the N, D. L's representative, Mr. Kerr of the Shanghai Dock Engineering Ca, Ltd, with two Japanese divers with their crews, steam and motor pumps with the necessary fitters ete., was sent to slipped off the rocks and this anchor could not be have up owing, to the steam pipes leading to the windlass and forward winches being under water. Owing to the angle of dip, the propeller of the Der-Mlinger were partly exposed but the ship's engines were used intermittently and to the best of their ability about one hour after the tow commenced.
Early the next morning, pumps and salvage gear were transferred from the Saucy to the Derflinger, and the divers commenced their underwater exarhination of the damage sustained by the steamer and the vessel was brought higher up on the bench at each successive tide, Further material and helpers from Shanghai were cabled for and sent by the tug St. Sampson.
Mr, Yagua, the Chief Diver, reported on the damage sustained the steamer.
An immediate consultation was then held between the salvors and Captain Hashagen, the commander fof the Derfllinger, followed by a thorough examination of the damage sustained by the vessel as was possible under the existing eizcumstances. The steamer had struck the eastern side of the and or rocks as they are sometimes called, and was on shore from her stem to well aft of the bridge with fa heavy list which varied from 15 fo 20 degrees according to the state (es) of the tide, and owing to the heavy swell running, the vessel rolled and pounded heavily on the rocks. Tt {was considered at the time to be too great a risk to attempt to tow the vessel off as the fore peak, Nes, Land 2 holds were full, and No. 8 hold and stokehold partially fall of water and as the No. 2 bulkhead was leaking and showing signs of weakness.
On arrival at the DerMinger, it was found that the steamer had slipped off the rocks and the Commander with a portion of the crew having returned to the steamer had passed a manila line to the Japanese tug Hoten Maru, which had been standing by, but shortly after this tug commenced to tow the towsive.
On arrival of the St. Sampson the work was Zommenced in earnest, all the pumps were rigged and local labour engaged to discharge the cargo and cargo boats engaged. The work of discharging the soya beans was carried out by 10 inch steam pumps, this being the only feasible manner, but this method proved a. slow' one as the pumps became choked every few minutes with the refuse and filth in the holds' in spite of the fact that divers were below at the rose boxes attempting to keep same clear. Carpenters and tradesmen were set to work preparing material for sealing the Nos 1 and 2 orlop hatches, the intention being that with these hatches sealed the water would then be pumped out from the "tween decks which would be securely tommed and strengthened and the vessel would then float on her orlop decks forward, this work naturally being of a high technical nature which could only be carried out with expert divers, as fitting the sections of the sealing had to be effected under water.
'This work though considerably' hampered by the heavy list of the Derfflinger with the usual dificult ties which inevitably occur in work of this nature, progressed without interruption until Friday, August 30, at 8.20 p.m. when the head Rts ose coe Deringer under tow from the Saucy lyrical chemist, was permanentd to work in any portion of satisfied himself with every' means at his disposal that that portion of the ship was reasonably position eventually became s0 seri~ Tux that it wus decided that Mr. Bernard Firth, ott, Chair man and Managing Director of the Shanghai Tug & Lighter Ca, Ltd, who in the past had assumed charge of all the major salvage operations undertaken by his company, and Mr. David Turnbull, Manager Shanghai Dock and Engineering Ca, Ltd., should pro-coed to Tsingtao and iissume charge operations.
Employees of the salvage party, both European and Chinese, wore constantly affected by this gas which was ever present and several had to be sent to the hospital at different times and it was mo uncommon sight for several of these men to be stretched out deck at the same time, retching, {and sariping for breath and receive Jing treatment from the doctor of [the Derflinger, who was indefatig [tle in his attendance. TE was [scanty several' hours afore thee men were sullielently recovered to resume duty, The men's eyes were also alfoct= ced by this gas which caused int inflammation snd acute irritation and some of these men's eyes became so painful that they were tunable to bear the pain caused by the injection of drops which was part of the treatment. Special spectacles were provided but. these were eventually as they proved to be of little use. Special masks were procured for those working below decks but again these, were only effective for rope rope Fates cinch steal wire parted. The Saucy then hawser to the Derfflinger and com-
How the Deringer lay on Sian-Kung-Tau. short periods See cee toe Hea lees. and it" was attached. The divers were also havrser to the Deringer eng [by the Derflinger as follows:—The diver with four native employees human beings to work This only able to work below for very fae stern, Arsb, eventually. beaching einige damaged. forward descended into No. 1 orlop deck in eas was found to be generated by, short periods as' they rapidly be~ fur outside the harbour nits of broken at about 17 foot which at the time there happened: he action of the salt water on the came affected by the vitiated air. that port, This tow proved an "ree aft and. to, starboard, to be about 8} fect water for the sora beans which composed the pumped down through the ale aorta one owing to the|damare extends aft approximately purpose of examining the. ceiling, reater part of the steamer's cargo. pipe extremely heavy one owing to M4130 fect. From about 30 fect abaft when they were all immediately Naturally the presence of this This is not surprising. when fact tne towers anchor [stem to about centre of No. 2 hold overcome by gas which suddenly dangerous ani dandly ax slowed Ludwig states in his official report, dropped. her Port tower nen ake on bilge, side and bottom plating and without warning made its up the work considerably and the 'a copy of which has been despatch appearance. These men were rescued with some dificl one Chinese employee was found to be dead after he had been brought deck. The others were rushed to. the- German where they were left condition, one other Chinese dying soon after ad 'A German quartermaster was also. badly gassed in an effort to rescue the diver and men overcome by gas and was also rushed to the hospital where he remained an inmate for a considerable time a8 the result of his brave effort.
From now' on gas was ever present in the holds and even on the upper deck of the Deringer and every conceivable step was taken to combat this peril. For a. short 4 tine, the locally engaged labour was demoralized and this loss of morale was more sympathised with than otherwise by the Chinese officials who held the inquests on the remains of the men who "had lost their lives, four" in all. Dr. Ludwig, a local practitioner and Derfllinges's stern wae also badly damaged,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.