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Ship of the Month - cont'd. 10. was attached to the wreck by another cable, awaiting a 4: 30 a. m. start on Tuesday. Efforts were quashed, however, by high winds and waves rolling in from the southwest, making underwater conditions too dangerous for divers to descend. By June 20, one end of the sunken dredge had been raised but the salvage fleet had been unable to drag the hulk forward through the silt. Capt. Beau­ pre asked the D. P. W. for the use of two additional scows to aid in lifting the dredge, and these were provided. SALVAGE PRINCE went to Port Burwell to fetch them. Wire slings had to be prepared for the scows and they were pla­ ced on the outer end of the wreck. The combined lifting power of S. A. QUEEN, HILDA and three scows wasn't enough to raise the dredge off the bottom, the forward end of the sunken dredge refusing to budge from the mud on a June 24 attempt. As a result of this failure, D. P. W. authorities approved the remo­ val of some of the heavy steel superstructure and machinery from the wreck. McQueen Marine had removed an estimated 200 tons of equipment during a two- month salvage attempt in 1952. On July 3, 1953, a plan to dynamite the wreck was given approval by the Public Works Department. HERCULES came over from Port Burwell to retrieve the two scows on loan from the government after some new plates had been cut and welded to repair damage done to them during the failed lift. In the meantime, the Pyke Salvage Co. fleet stood by. Capt. Bates' log for July 2 and 3 reads: "No operations, awaiting explosives. Fuelled PRINCE from HILDA. " On the 4th, blasting operations on the super­ structure began. No operations on the 5th due to a gale on the lake. An in­ teresting note in Capt. Bates' log on the 5th says: "Diver injured hand on Dredge HOWARD M. " Although the federal government's dredge and tug were wor­ king at Port Burwell, the Department of Public Works had given McNamara Con­ struction Company of Toronto the job of keeping Port Stanley's main shipping channel open. P. W. D. NO. 117 was in the way. Blasting continued on July 6. "The London Free Press" of Tuesday, July 7, 1953, read: "Dredge Wrecking Popular Show. The demolition of the upperworks of the wrecked dredge NO. 117 has been a popular attraction with summer vi­ sitors. At the same time throngs have presented an ever present problem to the salvage workers because the spectators must be kept back a safe distance on the main pier. At a chief vantage point a watchman is kept on duty so that a signal from one of the boats, the onlookers are directed into the sa­ fety area. Although the demolition is an orderly affair, the small scale ex­ plosions prove an ample source of entertainment. " A week later, having blown massive pieces off the superstructure, Pyke Sal­ vage workers prepared for another lift and drag. The dredge hulk was com­ pletely submerged and although buoyed and lighted, it still remained a me­ nace to navigation, restricting the channel at the harbour entrance. For this reason, the McColl-Frontenac tanker JOHN IRWIN had lain at anchor in Lake Erie off the port for several days, awaiting the wind and waves to abate before attempting to enter. A twisted pile of metal sat on the west pier - recovered pieces of the superstructure which had been blown away. Another lift attempt on July 16 failed; the weather turned unfavourable again. Capt. Beaupre then called it quits. The Pyke firm already had lost two lu­ crative salvage jobs closer to home to the rival Sin-Mac company. Due to a steering gear malfunction, the Quebec and Ontario Transportation Company's pulpwood carrier FRANQUELIN (i) went aground on Manhattan Island east of Alexandria Bay, N. Y., on June 17, damaging some bow plates, and due to a heavy fog the C. S. L. package freighter CITY OF KINGSTON grounded near Iro­ quois on July 20, both salvage jobs being done by Sin-Mac's tig RIVAL and lighter COBOURG. July 19 and 20 were spent unhooking and retrieving their salvage gear. On Tuesday, July 21, the Pyke Salvage fleet hoisted anchors and set out for Kingston. "The London Free Press" that day read: "There is much uncertainty