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Efforts to Refloat
Stranded Ship
HOBART, Tuesday, — Seamen and
volunteers tonight commenced to un
load cargo from the Merino in prepara
tion for an attempt to refloat the vessel
at high tide tomorrow morning.
Late tonight workmen;
were preparing to cut up
a six-ton .motoi; omnibus
with oxy acetylene'
torches and dump it into
the sea so that the after
hatch covers could be
taken off and -the cargo,
removed.
Several tons, of deck
cargo— mainly onions and"
motor batteries — have
been loaded on to trucks
on the beach with the;
aid of a flying fox and
taken to Bicheno for
storage.
After today's unsuc
cessful attempt to refloat
the freighter it was found
the vessel was hard
aground amidships di
rectly below the aft hold
with the bow and stern
almost clear.
The French art col
lection is still on board
undamaged. ,
Three tugs and a fish
ing vessel will try to pull
the Merino off the sand
bank in Bluestone Bay, on
the Tasmanian- east. coast,
where she has been
aground since Christmas
day. .
' This morning's attempt
.at towing the ship off the
sand moved it fifteen feet
forward- and the bow
nearly 30 deg. to sea.
The ship's master, Cap
tain Ian Carmichael, re
ported tonight that with
good movement in the
water, a good high tide
and lightened cargo the
chances of the Merino
being shifted tomorrow
morning were eood.
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