But there may be factors in the case which make these methods useless, as happened when the s.s. _Timbo_ was thrown ashore in Carnarvon Bay in 1921. She drifted at the mercy of a terrific gale, which was blowing dead on the shore. Lifeboats that put out to succour her were swamped by the enormous seas, and more than one brave man lost his life that stormy day before the _Timbo_, absolutely helpless, was driven right across the bay. Just when tide and tempest were at their height, she was caught up by a tremendous wave and thrown heavily ashore. That tide happened to be exceptionally high, and when Mr. Henry Ensor came on the scene he found a strip of shingle just 100 feet wide separated her from the sea when the tide was at the full. There she lay, broadside on to the ocean, and over 30 yards beyond the reach of the largest comber that rolled up the beach. She was indeed out of her element, so much so that 30 yards or 30 miles would have made no difference to the average city-dweller, for to him the problem of getting her back would have been insuperable. [Illustration: BY DIGGING A DEEP TRENCH ROUND THIS WRECK, THE SALVORS MANAGED TO TOW HER OFF INTO DEEP WATER] To tow her off on a beach like that was not to be thought of, for if tugs had been set to work they would merely have added to the difficulties. Directly they began to haul, the stony beach would have heaped up under the weight of the steamer, and the more they pulled, the deeper the wreck would have burrowed into the beach. [Illustration: _By courtesy of H. Ensor & Sons_ THE TIMBO, CAST ASHORE A HUNDRED FEET ABOVE HIGH WATER MARK, WHERE SHE WAS THROWN DURING A TERRIFIC GALE. SALVORS PROPPING UP HER BILGES TO PREVENT HER FROM FALLING OVER BEFORE THEY STARTED THEIR STERN STRUGGLE IN THE DARK] The first thing the salvage expert did was to put timbers under the bilges of the steamer to prop her upright and prevent her from falling on her side. Then, using lifting jacks, he gradually raised her and placed launchways beneath her keel to prevent her from burrowing into the shingle when the tugs started to pull her off. This work was completed just before the highest tide there was likely to be for some time, and rather than miss this tide the salvors started to get the steamer back into the sea in the dark. Inch by inch they hauled that steamer across the intervening shingle until half the space was covered, until the seas lapped the launchways, splashed the keel. It was a tremendous fight. The tugs were hauling to their last pound. Slowly the launchways disappeared into the water and at last the salvors felt the _Timbo_ tremble. Another long, strong pull and the steamer rose to the swell. Success had crowned the efforts of the salvage specialist.