FIRE ON THE TURAKIA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 9, 5 October 1907, Page 7

FIRE ON THE TURAKIA.

r ■SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION, PUTS BACK TO WELLINGTON.. EXCITING SCENE AT THE WHARF. ' i There was considerable excitement in 'tho City between 10 and 11 a.m. yesterday when it became known that the New Zealand Shipping Company's well-known steamer Turakina was returning to port owing to an outbreak of firo amongst her cargo. The news was ' received from the outer signal station at about 10.30 a.m., and shortly before 11 a.m. Mr. N. Galbraith,- of tho Now Zealand Shipping Company, went out on tho Duco, which was followed shortly.' afterwards by tho Harbour Board's launch Uta, which Mt for tho stream with Mr. Burns (manager of tho New Zealand Shipping Company), Captain Hugo (of tho Fire Brigado), and Captain Bondall. (Lloyd's Surveyor) on board. There was no sign of fire as the ship' steamed round Point Halswell and headed for tho stream. Sho might be arriving from London after "a calm, uneventful passage," as the official reports so frequently stato. Smell of Burning. ' But a' closer acquaintance into the ■■ vessel's decks discovered to those from tho shore tho smell of burning, and a sturdy son of the sea was seen pouring a steady flow of water over a closely battened hatch. Tho passengers were not a bit perturbed; indeed, they looked rather relieved on tho-whole, an expression no doubt born of a safo arrival in port after a rather anxious time,' for the vessel was heading south-cast 557 miles on tho Capo Horn sido of the Chathams (just about 1000 miles from Wellington), when the fire was discovered at a quarter to' five o'clock on Sunday afternoon. Fighting the Fire. - • . On the discovery that somothing was smouldering below', every aperture in the f oro part of :,tho' big vessel was sealed up,' and the Clayton , sulphur dioxide machine and hoses were put in play to check tho fire, which by that time had begun to throw; .off smoke. The. little engine on which so much depended—how much perhaps was not altogether comprehended by many of the passongors—did her duty faithfully and well, and the men who had to lend her in the noxious air of down-below worked as gallantly,' and a calm reassurance that thoro was no danger soon quietened those that foarcd serious consequences. Vessel Makes for Wellington. To continue on tho voyage under ■ such conditions would bo madness, so it was promptly decided to double back for Wellington, where all anco could be rendorcd. The fire; was iii the 'tween decks of No. 1 hold, whero was stored a general cargo of wool, flax, and tow-T-commodities that were recently very gravely- deliber-. ated upon by the Fires in Wool Ships, Commission. On the alarm being given, Captain Forbes ordered the forecastle to be closed up, and so speedily was this done, that the crew had no time to shift their belongings, and the stewards, whoso quarters were against the place in the hold whero the cargo was smouldering, were "smokedout." The Captain's Report. The official report of tho firo made, by Captain Forbes is as follows:— i . "On Sunday, September 29, tho ship being about 550 miles from Chatham Island, and 1000 miles from Wellington, smoke was seen issuing from No. 1 hold. Tho hatch was closed and all ventilation into the hold was closed. The Clayton : firo extinguishing machine waij then started into the hold, and the ship's course set for Wellington and to pass close to' Chatham Island. ■ By continuous working at the Clayton machine, and a constant flow of water on the hatch combings and deck, the fire was prevented from spreading. Tho boats were provisioned and ready for immediate U6e, and all possible • speed was made for Wellington. Unfortunately strong winds were experienced, culminating in a heavy galo and high bead sea on tho night of October 2. The signal station ; was communicated with at 10.30/ and the Turakina borthed at Queen's Wharf at noon." At the Wharf. To enablo tho land fire-extinction forces to render assistanco should the necessity arise, tho Shipping Company's liner was berthed at No. 1 (south), Queen's Wharf shortly after ll'.a.m;, and crowds visited the pier during tho day to seo tho unusual sight of a steamer on firo alongside tho wharf without showing a sign of it. Tho picture, howovor, changed when, at about 3 o'clock, the hatches wcro taken off. The Hatches Charred. A good body of smoke belched out and-it was seen that tho hatches wero charred underneath on tho port sido, and the bales of flax that wero stacked up to tho combings wero burned on tho outside. Meanwhilo tho Union Company's tuj Terawhito was brought alongside to enable her powerful 8-inch pump to.bo put into play should tho circumstances warrant it, and ono of tho Board's mud punts was requisitioned to receive'tho damaged cargo! A Weird S:er;e. With the advanco of evening, and tho disappoaranco of daylight, tho scone at tho end ,of tho wharf became weirdly unique. Thero lay a great, ocean-going steamer safely moored to tho docks securo from tho clemtns that usually threaten a yensol at sea, a victim to another clement that seemed to defy tho effort of man' to conquer. As tho afternoon passed into evening tljo firo became worse, and hotween 5 and G p.m. tho smoko i and heat becanio too intolerable for ] tho further continuation of tho work of unloading, which had boon bravely | \

- iGdono under distressing condition!:; by a gang of forty men, who handled the burning bales with fino energy. The result was that between. 500 and GOO bales wero discharged into tho punt alongside. Flooding tho Hold. • The smoko then became tinged witr? a gloom that looked dangerous, and it was decided to flood tho hold in the most expeditious manner possible. Tha pumps of tho Terawhiti wero sot going, and it was not long before she was forcing streams of water throughtwo monster ten-inch pipes. , About an hour, later tho Fire Brigado's; big steamer was put in commission on tho wharf, and sho assisted in filling., the big tank. Tho Terawhiti was throwing in water at tho rato of 900 tons an hour, and the steamer 120 tons an hour, and yet tho water seemed to ■ havo, no offect, for about half-past ? tho firo was worso tban over.. ~. ... Forks of Flame. Into tho still evening air fork's ot, flamo now' shot up, and there ,were those who began to deßpair of saving tho ship from boing. gutted. Gradually, however, tho ominous red-of the inferno below lost its glow, giving placo to great clouds N of ugly black smoko that mixed with tho wreathing steam as in tho crater of a volcano.. Help from H.M.S. Challenger. The commander .of H.M.Si.< Glial longer turned his two powerful 'search- . lights on tho dock of tho steamer, making tho sceno as light as day;-The warship's electrician was sont'ovcr wj rondor any assistanco ho'could, and;as the water roso to tho port-holes tla cruiser's carpenter arrived: on ;. the sceno with plugs to stop the' outflow of water through tho ports. Gradually, the'water rose in the holdj and gradually tho ship's nose 'went down, until it rested on the bottom of tho harbour, and the vessel gave an easy lurch regaining her perpendicular from tha slight list she had in the afternoon. - At 10 o'clock the \yatcr had risen almost to the decks, when suddenly, there was a rush, and tho water subsided about a couplo of feet. A Bulkhead had Cone. • This was evident, as there wqs ,n© other outlet for such a body of water.Those who knew tho ■'run of tho ship said it was the bulkhead that .divided the top cargo deck from'the freezing engine room, and this proved' to; be correct. "While the smoke was seemingly lessening, who could guess whafc was happening m the flooded blackness below ? To uudorstand tho position it should bo oxplaincd thatjNo. I hold is forehead- lioxt 1 to and. below the fo'castle head, .which, of course, is damaged by fire beyond any remedy savo a complete refit> .'So that on the top deck thoro is first the fo'cslo head, then the hatchway, and'further-along still, boyond No. 2 hold, is a wooden bulkhead, tho freezing'machine room, so that the water poured into No. 1 had free access to the' top deck; of No. 2 hold. Not so on tho 'tween and lower decks, where tlipr'e aro".stout '. bulkheads and a layer of charcoal insulation. ... ' Frozen Meat Cargo. Theso decks a'ro full of frozen meat and. dairy produce, which aro almost certain to be damaged beyond all hope (oven if the bulkheads stand tho big pressure of water) plying to tho : stoppage of the freezing machinery. Further aft'still, just boyond tho freezing machino room, is hold No. 3, in front of tho bridge, which has general cargo on top, coal in the 'tween decks, and meat.in the lower. The meat here would suffer irremediably. On Deck. ■ i ■■-~•' "'■■ , The sceno on deck- was an impres« .': sive ono! The' decks .streamed with water in all directions; tho ports-gave the sea back its own in masterful spouts; grimy figures amid tho" smoke hold tho great hoses down the hatchway; the Torawhiti's engines throbbed • sturdily to seaward, and on tho wharf the steamer spat fire'into the night air; and over all streamed the silver sheen from tho brilliant eyos of the grey warship. -■■'--~- •"-',, Cargo In No. 1 Hold. Tho cargo contained in No. 1 hol9, : tho whole of which must 'he'b'adi£ damaged, is as follows:—From' Auck-land-4549 bale's flax, 260 sacks guni,100 bales wool, 100 bales skins, and ' ' 182 bales wool; Wellington—2ls" bales flax, 70 casks tallow, and a'quantity oi •■ whito pine' timbor (for London) \ Lyttelton—7ol bales wool, 44- bales skins, 937 bales nemp and tow, 386 sacks grass seed, 28 packages sun* dries; Port Chalmers—GO bales skins, 203 bales wool, 51 bales rabbit skins, 446, bales hemp, i cases sundries,. 8 bags oro; Bluff —193 bales hemp, and 17 bales wool. Where tho Fire Started., It is assumed that tho firo started spontaneously amongst tho tow in No. 1 hold. All thoso that could render assistanco did so readily. Messrs. Daniels and Smith, of tho Union Co., Mr. P. Brown, stevedoro for the N. Z. Shipping Company, Superintendent Hugo and his men, and the' Challenger authorities all helped with the chooriest vigour. The Firo Out. At midnight the fire was out, oi practical}' so, and the pumps were stopped a littlo later. As lato as 1.3 C a.m. only a small quantity of steam was issuing from tho hatchway of No. 1 hold, but tho heat had buckled up the starboard .clonk . :nto waves, and lines of bubbling pitch marked the seams. Jf tha meat chambers havo not. icon flooded, there is a slight chanco of saving tho meat in No. 2 hold if it can be got out of the chamber and placed in tho freezer ashore, but the flooding of tho freezing machine room will go far towards preventing it being saved as it lies in the vessel.