WOOL SHIP TAKES FIRE AT SEA

Chronicle (Levin), 1 February 1947, Page 2

WOOL SHIP TAKES FIRE AT SEA

LIFEBOATS CAPSIZE; SEVERAL DROWNED LOKDOR, Jan. 31. The ship Samwater, of 7219 tons, bournl for Antwerp and Liverpool from Preniantle, avhs abandoned^ off the north-west coa.st of Spain when lire broke o'ut in the engine-room. ' The niaster of the Samwater, in a radio mcssnge to the owners in London about the tire, said that some members of the erew and two passengers were lost. The Samwater '? position when the radio message was sent was about 100 miles north-west of Cape Finisterre. The bulk of the Samwater 's cargo was wool. It is recalled that the Samwater 's previous voyage was unlucky. The Frencli1' banker kT. Henri Bar was washed overboard in a Paciiic storm. He left behind £100,000 in Chinese treasure. Ijloyd 's representative in Lisbon, has reported that the Swedish rstekhier Ppalvlss'on brdught^'iK 23 "oftTTe SSkyr," including the niaster of the SamWater, and three passengers. lieuter's Lisbon correspondent says 1(5 of tlie creiw and two passengers were drowned. The easualties occured when two lifeboats capsized AA'hile being laurtched. The ship was still steaming.l at aliuost full speed when the lire forced the captain to order the lifeboats a.way. ;A heavy sea was running. ! The captain said he was unable to. expl.ain the causc of the lire. The ship, i when the erew last saw her, was still i moviiig and burning furiously. Reuter's Lisbon correspondent says tlie lire broke out while the erew were repairing the ship's engines. Thp. Samwater Avas an oilburner. The lire spread sn quickly that the ship's eomplemenl was forced to hurry tQ the lifeboats.