The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Ship of the Month - cont'd. 12. by as the pontoon was sunk and pumping operations began. This attempt failed when one of the 3-inch cables snapped. Another lift was planned using a se­ cond pontoon and new steel cable in double slings. The lake bed around the wreck had been dredged so that the wreck sat on a pinnacle of mud. It was planned to bring the floating drydock out to the wreck and settle it close enough so that the wreck could be hauled into the drydock. On August 22, the salvage fleet was joined by two more vessels, with the ar­ rival from Oshawa of an additional scow in tow of BATCHAWANA, bringing the fleet to nine vessels. The large floating drydock brought to Port Stanley in July was undergoing extensive repairs at this time, which included replace­ ment of timbers, recaulking and sheathing the hull with plywood. The repair job was a boon to local carpenters, and the salvage fleet with its large work force gave a boost to the local economy. The job still was a tourist attraction. Adverse weather continued to be a problem. By August 31, one end of the hulk had been raised three feet off the bottom, and another barge was being read­ ied for additional lifting power. Despite rough weather on September 1st, the salvagers continued working as waves broke over the pontoon. The heavy southwest wind and surge combined with a sustained lift and pull helped ease the wreck into the protection of the pier on September 3rd. A young salvage worker from Orillia, Eddie Beers, suffered a head injury during this opera­ tion, which required his removal to the St. Thomas-Elgin Hospital for treat­ ment. For the first time in 27 months, the entrance was clear of the obstruction. The tanker COASTAL CREEK was the first vessel to clear port without difficulty. The salvagers and their equipment rested the following day from their long struggle. With the removal of the hulk from the harbour entrance, it was noticed by mariners that the sunken hull had served as an extension of the breakwall, and they now asked Reeve Violet McCarthy to appeal to the Public Works De­ partment to extend the breakwall with rock rubble for an additional 500 feet. The salvage pontoon was damaged during the lift and subsequently was discon­ nected from the wreck and brought up to the east side of the King George VI bridge, where it was heeled over so that workmen could rivet an open seam. Repair work on the floating drydock was completed, and the dredge ST. CLAIR began digging a deep trench around the wreck into which the floating drydock could be settled. Salvage efforts began anew on September 20, but rough wea­ ther again halted the attempt. On October 5, the salvage vessels returned to the scene and preparations were made for a lift and pull. On October 7, some six months after initial preparations had begun, the lift and pull was done. By early evening, the battered hulk of P. W. D. 117 had been brought up and pulled inshore to the vicinity of the former carferry slip, a distance of some 2, 000 feet. The hulk was suspended on three-inch steel cables supported on one side by a large pontoon vessel and on the other by a converted dredging scow. Lake Erie storms and other obstacles had barred progress, damaged equipment, and gene­ rally wrought havoc with the salvage venture. Power for the pumps was supplied by the tugs CONNIE M. and BATCHAWANA, with the salvage barge BLACK CARRIER used as a work boat. In the meantime, the crew of the dredge ST. CLAIR were deepening a vast pocket at the carferry dock to accommodate a floating drydock that still had to be sunk to receive the wreck. To make a successful lift, McNamara had dredged a special channel through the outer harbour in which to drag the wreck. It was estimated that their salvage bill would amount to $1, 000, 000. It was suggested that the hulk might be restored to service and be used for the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway project, but this never was done. Hurricane Hazel hit the lower lakes on October 15 and stopped further work. On October 21, the hulk was still sitting in slings in the carferry slip. By the 23rd, the pontoons had been released and the hulk was resting on the