Part of Bow Patching in s. Hervar Gives In spite of the mechanical equipment employed, which is of the best: the ingenully of five or six specialists)" who have studied the problem for months; the favourable tide; and previous tests, the raising of the ill fated Hervar, which sank opposite the "North-China" Building on December 41, suffered another delay on Tuesday, June 18.
The Far Eastern Salvage Company, associated with Messrs. Wheelock & Ca,, having prepared for three weeks to "raise the wreck, failed on Tuesday in bringing vp the vessel through no fault of their own. or their associates. The non-success is attributed to a. single plank in the coffer-dam, or patch, on the forward end, where she was holed. Apparently this had been damaged by a launch or small vessel, which colded with the patch during either Sunday or Monday nights, The fault did not come to light until strain was put it that morning, the injury having been under the water line, Toll Made Futile Thousands of man-hours of work were made futile in less time than it takes to tell. Once the fault mani fested Itself, thousands of gallons of muddy Whangpoo water rushed into the submerged vessel and Capt, Huntingon and Mr. W. Rubia called off their crews. The combined efforts of 96 coolies, a dozen divers, and auxiliary engineers and experts were of no avail, while a powerful 2,000- gallon pump was" comparatively Useless, Tow water was making at the Garden Bridge at 9.35 a.m, but those In charge retained from putting strain fon the cables and lighters until halt fan hour later. The wires were tightened by the coolies who, seven at each of twelve winches, wound up the slack on the underwater six-inch experienced by under a tense strain for the preceding four or tive days, As the tide flooded, the strength of the cables was thoroughly tested, Each winch held as the cables blocks under bore the strain magni-
Inch by inch, two lighters on erther side of the Hervar, to which the gear had been attached' rose, as the water round and under the vessel became deeper. although the weight of the 2,000-ton vessel constituted a grave test, on gradually rose in the same degree as, the lighters, Russian divers, without their diving suits, were able to walk round on the floor of the dining saloon and the officers quarters Then came the anti-climax, The first leak in the patch was not noticed immediately, but when the plank came loose from the remainder of the coffer-dam, water poured in dri huge quantities fling the forepeak and the area between the first and second bulkheads, the former having been damaged beyond repair by the colllsion with the Tung Tuck. Between 1115 am. and 11.30 am, the order was given to cease working, The auks, however, still were dry and will form the Basis for fulure opera But at noon that day, Copt. Huntington, wag optimistic regarding the He stated that all: tests prior to the actual raising had been Successful. They had raised the forward portion by pumping out the water, They had successfully applied the maximum strain to lighters and wires, and by "taking the strain" and listing the hull six feet, had proved to themselves that the "Job. was theirs." The break in the patch could not be foreseen: had been tested and found in order, and the incident which had caused the weakness had blot been noticed—he was sure that they would remove the Hervar from the bottom of the river.
Tt will be recalled that the Hervar, in-bound from Siam with a full ears fof lee, came into collision with the Tung Tuck about 9 am. on December 17, foundering in 20" minutes with loss of life, after the Master had partially beached her near the River Police Hulk. "Messrs. Wheelock & Ca,, Lid, secured the contract from the Customs for salving her, A street arrest at dawn on Thursday enabled detectives of the French Police to carry out two raids shortly afterwards, in which four "other arrests were made and one Mauser and two dummy pistols seized.
The latest addition to the Europe-Sinang? ald to. be latest In maritime construct might. stay, which will conclude on July 1
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.