THE LATE FIRE ON BOARD THE CITY OF AUCKLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 346, 17 February 1871, Page 2

THE LATE FIRE ON BOARD THE CITY OF AUCKLAND.

An inquiry into the cause of the fire on board the City of Auckland, on the 24th January 1871, was held in the saloon of the ship y ca [ terday, before Dr. Philson, coroner, and* the following gentlemen on the jury:- Captain Mundle (Foreman), Captains C. Williams John Attridge, Chrisp, E. G. Dent, Will, R. B. Pringle, Messrs. T. Williams, Geo. Hen^ derson, W. Anderson, R. T. Ebborn, and J. Holmes.—The jury being sworn, they p ro i ceeded to the vessel. On returning, Mr. Inspector Broham called Wm. Ashby, who on being 3Worn, deposod : I am master and part owner of the ship City of Auckland. My partners in the vessel reside in London." Remember the 23rd January ; the vessel was being loaded on that day. Received 75 bales tow, 50 bales flax, and a quantity of gum and wool. Examined every package as they were sent on board, and desired the chief officer (R. Milne) not to receive any flax on board the least stained or damp. I inspected the stowing from time to time. I gave similar instructions to the second officer. I also laid boards under the ventilators to prevent accident from the falling of a match or spark. At 5.10 p.m., 23rd, I vi-ited every part of the vessel, and found everything perfectly safe, and not the slightest appearance of fire. Before leaving I directed the carpenter to erect stanchions over the condensing pipe, to pievent the flax from getting damp. Particularly cautioned them from depositing flax in the lower hold. Ten men of the crew were engaged in stowing cargo. Two or three were engaged from the shore. I gave particular instructions that smoking would not be permitted on board. Tlie s.s. Hero lay just opposite my ship, and was discharging by the donkeyengine ; the wind on that day was from eastward. Did not observe any sparks emitted from the engine of the s.s. Hero. My second officer has been on board my ship for eighteen months and holds a first-class certificate. The chief officer about 18 months. The engineer (Richd. Harris) was on- deck, in company with the carpenter. The second officer was in. charge, and was on board, engajed in writing, until 12 o'clock. Remember being roused on Tuesday, 24th hist., about 3 a.m., by David Niven, one of my crew ; was informed the ship was on lire, he at the same time saying the smoke was ascending from the hatchway. Found a portion of the crew of the s.s. Hero, with Captain Logan, and a part of the crew of the barque Santiago, engaged in pumping water in the direction the smoke was proceeding from. A laud engine was engaged pumping down the fore-hatchway. In about twenty minutes I noticod flames through the deadlights ,- ordered them to be broken, and placed the hose for the purpose of playing on the flames. I then consulted with Deputy Har-bour-master Lander. Requested him to take the ship into the stream, and so preserve the wharf and shipping. Shortly after, Captain Ellis (harbour-master) came on board. I then repeated my wish to have the ship removed into the stream. A land engine played on the ship. I saw the pitch boiling up on the starboard side. Ordered six platks of the deck to be cut, and discovered the flax was a mass of flame. I directed the hose of I both engines on the burning flax. We pitched twenty bales into the water. The fire ap-' peat-ed to have such a hold that I taw bat little chance of extinguishing it. I then consulted with the Harbour • master, and suggested, to save the ship and cargo, there was but one alternative—to scuttle her. He (the Harbour-master) coincided with my views, and she was scuttled. The water was level with the decks at twelve o'clock noon, the fire still burning. I then got the engines to re-commence playing on the flax. It was 1.30 when the fire wag got under. When the ship" was got alongside the wharf, I found the starboard side to the fore hatch destroyed by fire ; the deck, four inches thick, was burnt through to the engine and,. cook houses, the cement preventing it from proceeding ally further. The fire originated about seven feet from the main hatchway, undei- the engine-, house ; one spot, about the size of a bale of flax, on the lower deck was burnt through. The fore-hold was secured, but not caulked. The ship, at this time, had about three-fourths of her cara;o on board. The vesael, when I left London, was insured at Lloyd's for£ls,Ooo. the voyage out aud thirty u days after entering the port of Auckland. The policy had expired twelve days previous to the fire. On the 7th of January I wrote to my partners in London to renew the insurance. I estimate the damage at £5000. The repairs to render her seaworthy for the trip to London would be about £2000. leannot assign any cause for the fire. Several of the men have sailed with me for sii years, and they are sober and steady men. Beceived the first portion of flax and wool'abouti 23rd December, but it was not stowed on that date.—To Captain Dent: Thepublsc smoke on the wharf, much to the dangw of shipping. I have frequently stopped, perions from smoking on bales. lam positive the fire did not originate from spontaneous combustion. The cargo on board consisted of 3106 cases gum, 150 bags gum, 30 casks gum, 280 bales wool, 300 bales flax, 78 bales tow, 13 bundles leather, 37 tons oil, 20 tons tallow. The unwashed wool (40 bales) was stowed between decks, and 40 bales abreast the mainhatch.—Robert Muir, chief officer, sworn, deposed : Remember the 23rd January. My duty was to tally cargo on m wharf. Remember checking two persons lor smoking on the wharf on that day. ( iJl* witness was examined as to the donkeyengiuo on the Hero. It was merely a repetition of Captain Ashby's evidence.) Left B» vessel about 8 o'clock, and left the aeow» officer in charge. Returned about 5.a.m. K» next morning. When I returned theW>™ was just moving from the wkaif^"' fire apparently having taken a strong 'jtf' —Thomas Davies, second-officer, swornft' * ' member the 23rd of July. Was en*»ge" taking in gum, flax, &c. A stevedore) w a portion of the crew were assistingß» Knocked off about six o'clock antt'Pja I» hatch and tarpaulin on. I retired » about eleven o'clock p.m., and WWJW apparently, perfectly right on board. * called about two o'clock tho next morning ; the carpenter, who told mo the ship. was fire, and on removing the slides of the and aft hatches, discovered a large vqiun> smoke behind. Believe the M&ag?JS&tf precisely the same state they were iv tne n -^ previous. I desired the oarpentrer to cax ■ I hands aud ring the firebell.' I Alß,° B i,ip'. I messenger for the captain. G£ vfoundtlie 1 engine to work for a short time, butio* ■ pipe below had been destroyed. J