THE FIRE IN THE TAHITI.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17111, 5 April 1921, Page 7

THE FIRE IN THE TAHITI.

NO DAMAGE TO VESSEL. (fBtSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON*, April 4. The Tahiti reached Wellington at ten ' ■dock last night and berthed at the ftpnaki street wharf on an even keel. '£»*» nothing to indicate that any--2g was wrong. The fire apparently in the flax cargo. It is notable S*" th» i* the fint time the ship 'fried flax. Work was immediately wud getting the cargo out of the jofd to ascertain the extent of the < dsmage. The passengers remained calm throughout the trying experience Captain Edwin states that smoke was -M at 5.30 on Sunday morning com- £ from a ventilator on the forecastle wd leading from No. 1 hold. Ai- • iancements were made to bring a Clayton estinguisher into action and when Sri of the cover was lifted from the Jfter end of No. 1 hatr-li a heavy Tolumeof li 2 ht brown smoke came up. HEe was played down the hold and L was pumped in from the Clayton Machine. The chief officer, Mr McDonff 'rent down into the hold. He was S>lo to locate the fire, but opened up the orlop, hatch, thus giving the gas a bettor chance to do its work. At "-30> a 9 tnc waler cll f* no . seem to be making anv impression, it was decided to rely solely upon tho exiinguisher. Tho hatches and ventilators were accordingly closed and .gas ' « 3 pumned into the hold. At /.4o it was decided to return to Wellington. ' At 5 P-m. the lire was still smoulder- < fact but was apparently under control. The ship was about 200 miles from ' Wellington when the fire was dis- ' covered, and the weather was fine The Mongers behaved splendidly. Those » |n the third class were removed from their quarters, which are near - the hold in which the fire was burning, 1 M tho smoke became overpowering. J no - flgual precautions were taken regard,ne boat stations for the Pleniy of assistance was available it required, m H.M.S. Chatham was within easy distance at 11 a.m., but her help was not required, though it was The fire in the Tahiti -was extinguiflh- ' edat 3 a.m. to-day. '' Later. ' The Tahiti's No. 1 hold to-night was » almost empty. Thirty dumps of flax were destroyed out of a total of 60 in the hold. Twenty bales of wool were " destroyed by the fire. Fifty bales of jkwool in the hold were damaged by t: water, and 100 bags of grass-seed \yere %" also damaged. All tho dry bales were f •/eshipned. n 0 structural damage was t. caiised to the vessel. ''The Tahiti resumes her voyage at 6 .* n*m. to-morrow.