FIRE ON THE TURAKINA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 10, 7 October 1907, Page 6

FIRE ON THE TURAKINA.

THE FLOODING OPERATIONS. DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £100,0D0. DISCHARGING THE CARGO. When Tins Dominion went to press at an early hour on Saturday morniijg tho stoam was still issuing from No. 1 hold of tho Turakina, and it was only a matter of timo before the water, which had reached n level about three feet below the combings of tho hatch, would soak through to tho still smouldering stuff. It was remarkable to noto that, although tho fore-part of tho big vessel had become a tankful of water, whero cargo was nonexistent, that firo could still exist below. Fire Breaks Out Again. Yet such was tho case, for on Saturday afternoon the firo broke out again in No. 1 hold amongst tbo sacks of kauri-gum—really earth from tho gumfields of tho north that havo already been dug over, and which contains smaller pieces of gum that would not pay to pick up by manual labour. This is being shipped Homo for special treatment, and tho gum extracted for commercial purposes. By that timo, however, tho water had subsided considerably, and the offect of the ravages of tho fire could bo seen in the square of the hatch. The combing of tho hatch of tho 'tween jlecks on the port side was almost charred through, the bulkhead on that side (in B chamber of tho 'tween decks in No. 1 hold), which consisted tif two walls of planking insulated in between with charcoal, had been burnt right through, while tho starboard side was almost immune from real damage. This seemed to indicate, tho investigation proved, that a quantity of flax shipped at Auckland was stowed in that part of the hold. Intense Heat. On tho other hand, it was on tho starboard side where tho intense heat caused tho deck to buckle and the pitch to bubble at midnight on Thursday, and it is judged that tho intenso heat necessary to produce that result was caused by the ignition of tho sacks of kauri gum oarth that wore stowed immediately under tho deck on that side. Damage Creater than Expected. Tho damage caused by tho flooding of tho ship has proved to bo much greator than was • anticipated on Friday night. Th'o water found its way right through holds Nos. 2 and 3 to tho engine-room propor, and at ono timo tlicro was between throe and four feet of water in tho stokehold, which effectually doused tho lower furnaces. It was only with an effort that tho upper furnaces wero kept going (by stokors working up to their waists in water), for, had ail tho furnaces been flooded, no' power would liavo been availablo for tho pump that was cndoavouring to throw tho water out as it came through from tho bunkers which led to the coal supply stowedin tho 'tween decks in No. 3 hold. As soon as tho water receded sufficiently a start , was mado to unload from No. 1 hold, in continuation of tho work commenced on Friday , afternoon, and later on No. 2 hold—dairy produco and meat —was started upon, and tho work of unloading was continued actively throughout tho whole of yesterday. When visited yesterday .afternoon steaming bales of flax, charred on the outside, were boing swuug up from No. 1 hold, and deposited on lorries, which carted it to the vicinity'of tho foot of tho Taranaki Street wharf, to Kilbirnio, Island Bay, or Miramar, according to its condition. Tho greater part of the wool discharged was deposited about the • wharves, as it :s understood that tho bulk of it will be forwarded to Napier to bo properly scoured, dried, and rebaled by tho'appliances Messrs. M. F. Bourko and Co. havo thore. That firm of fellmongers, wool-sorters, etc., havo practically been entrusted with tho work of dealing with tho wool, flax, and skius included in the damaged cargo. Pumping the Vessel Out. The work of pumping out a cargoladen vessel is moro arduous than pumping in, for the reason that tho length or position of the suction ond has to bo altered from time to timo as the water is reduced to the level of tho cargo. No. 1 hold looked as if it was filled with black porridge, savo for an obtruding bale of flax or wool here and there • amongst tho cindered slush, in which tho lumpers worked kneedeep. Compared with No. 1, the ad-jacent-hold (No. 'I) was as an Hyperion to a Satyr, for hero all was pure, sweet, and clean. At '4 p.m. yesterday they had unloaded an immense amount ot butter, and wore working in the 'tween decks, whore boxes of butter, closo together, floated on tho surface of tho water in tho square of tho hold. 1 The butter was removed to a shed near tho railway station, but so far it is not yet decided what will bo done' precisely, but it is thought that the butter mil have to bo rc-boxcd here before it is placed in tho freezer in readiness for ro-shipment. A Dominion representative tasted sonio of tho butter, which was clcan and of excellent flavour. Among,tho brands on the boxes noticed floating in the water wero the following—"U.l.U.l.," "Uruti," " Eltham," " Cambridge," " Dannevirke," " Te Aroha," " Parnell," and "Unity." A Peep at the " Clayton." Tho Clayton sulphur engine, which saved tho Turakina from destruction by firo at sea, stands next to the Lindo' freezing machinery in a separate engine-room, on what is called tho shelter or first deck. As this room was flooded on Friday night, tho glory of bright parts and mcchanical ingenuity was gone, and damp topsyturvoydom prevailed. Tliero was the ongine, small and truculent, the ovendoor open, tbo genesis of rust already spotting the frictional parts, and it was almost impossible to believe that the lives of all on board and the ship itself had probably 'beou lived by that unpretontious conglomeration of steel and iron parts. Thcro were, too, tho barrels of sulphur sticks with which the ongine was ted throughout the whole of last week's trying time. The platform deck of the cngino-rooin, laid .down in sections,. had ussunied ovory

position but tho right ono after their rise to the iron coiling of tlio compartment. A runner of cocoanut matting had boon laid over tho sectional pieces, yet in ono case a piece extricated itself from tho weight of tho carpet as tho water rose, and when it reccdcd assumed its exact position (a pieco was cut out or one cornor in order to make it fit round a staunchion) —hut 011 top of tho runiipr. Another vagary concerned a glass. This had been standing empty on tho table of the tool-shop of tho freezing machine-room. When tho water reccdod it was found, brimming full of salt-ivatcr, pcrchcd delicately on tho knifc-liko odgo of a pieco of cut-out steel that was leaning against-tho wall whilst standing on the tabic. ; The crank-pits were still full of water yesterday afternoon. Tho confusion of tho sight looked strange, but a few days' hard work should put things to right. What Will be Done. Tho course of action to bo takon will entail tho unloading of tho tlireo forward holds. The dairy produce should bo safe, and a largo proportion of tho wool and flax should bo rendered marketable. The cargo that can bo reclaimed will be either sold hero on behalf of tho insurance companies or shipped Home after treatment. About the Ship. 1 It is not considered necessary to dock tho Turakina, which would mean a trip to Auckland, tho Calliope dock being tho only one capablo of taking her in. It is most probable that temporary repairs will bo effected in Wellington, and, after reloading, the steamer will leave for London, where the forward part or. tho vessel will be permanently refitted. The Turakina will bo hero about a month. A Test of Endurance. Cool and almost cheery in spirits was Captain Forbes when tho Turakina arrived in port on Friday morning, yet fow can , imagine what anxiety tho master must have suffered / from tho moment the iiro was discovered on Monday last. Captain Forbes hover slept from tho Monday evening until Friday night, and he " played : the gamo " up to the end. Chief Engineer Evans also had a sleepless time —no risks could to .t'tkon with the engines when reaching port meant salvation, and there was the "Clayton " to supervise. An oxpert informed a Dominion representative that tho outbreak had shown how firo could still exist in a vessel flooded to tho main deck. Tho considerateness of Messrs. N. Galbraith and Turroll, of tbo local office of tho Now Zealand Shipping Company, to thoso engaged in tho work of tho steamer has been favourably commented on. Tho statement that, in flooding the Turakina, tho Firo Board's steamer commenced operations an hour after tho Terawhiti, ,is incorrcct. Tho stoamer was at work when tho first or the tug's pumps commenced to suck. The Damage. • The damage to tho vessel and cargo has been > roughly estimated as somcwhero in tho vicinity of £100,000.