Darkness was blanketing the Whangpoo yesterday as a British Naval tug passed by the Bund from downriver with ten "little boats in tow, each with a far at the tiller. The Navy doing someone a good turn, thought most of the watchers of the twilight bombing of Pootung and they were right. The long chain of ships represented the rescue of the Minghong Yacht Club's racing 14-footers from very nearly certain extinction at their Point Island home.
The undertaking was fraught with a considerable amount of hard work, for the craft were found in every derelict condition from being high and dry any mud banks, stuck hard and fast on rocks, and three-quarters submerged. Japanese, likely enough from the Naval Landing Panty, lent a willing hand in the salvage work.
After Inspector B. B. Everest, of the Club's sailing committee, had seen the plight of the craft and' the interior havoc of the premises last Sunday, the officials sat down to some heavy thinking. It was very much of an hour of need and the Navy seemed to be the possible saviour of the situation. The Senior Naval Officer was acquainted with the club's predicament, lent a friendly ear, and the result was that yesterday the tug St. Breock left for the Island at 145 pan. with Capt, Savage dri charge and a party of ratings bent on an errand with a very particular appeal to sailorman. Commodore V. Sharman, of the yacht club, accompanied the party.
Timely Arrival They arrived gt the dinghy moorings in the nick of time. On Sunday seven survivors had been tied up safely; yesterday only four remained. Three others were safe and sound in the sheds, ten had broken loose during seven weeks in that troubled area and were scattered far and wide about the Island, and five had vanished. It was thought that the wash from lighters using the creek had frayed. the s.
The ten boats salvaged yesterday had found many queer resting places and several in all probability would not have been found had not the Japanese come to the rescue. The mast of one waterlogged craft fouled and snapped a field telephone wire when being dragged down the creek to the tug The salvage work took several hours and the sun was low when: the tow finally got under way. The journey ended in pitch darkness and. it was found impossible to get the boats into the safety of a pontoon, 'The frail little craft spent last night' tied up at the Jinkee Road Jetty, in grave danger of being crushed by lighters. Amongst Minghong Club officials who went down to meet the' rescuers and express their appreciation were; Vice-Commodore F. West, Fleet Captain C. A. Mason, Inspec-for Everest and Messrs. A. J. Stonyer and H. C. F. Harris.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.