A GREAT FIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 850, 23 June 1910, Page 7

A GREAT FIGHT.

FIREMEN IN SMOKE'JACKETS,

SEVERAL DRAGGED UP INSENSIBLE.

(By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.! Auckland, June 22. The fire on the Indradevi will have caused damage totalling many thousands of pounds. In all probability her cargo may have to bo transhipped for Wellington, Cliristchurch, and'Dunedin, and it will bo a miracle if when the firo is eventually subdued it is found that docking is unnecessary. In tho early morning it was apparent to passengers on the lorry boats crossing from the marino suburbs that somethin" serious was the mattor at tho Queen Street Wharf, whero the Tysor liner was lying, as dense whirls of black smoke and occasional clouds of steam indicated a fiTe of considerable magnitude, and all day long tho wharves liavo been thronged by eager sightseers, while the dashing to and fro of firo engines has added to the excitement in town. . . The surprising part abont it is tho persistence of tho firo. In spito of tiic fact that froiu 2000 to 3000 gallons of water were being poured into the forward hold every minute the outbreak I gained steadily.,

Locating tho Fire. The fire was first noticed about one o'clock this morning, and from that hour -till this evening a great fight lias been proceeding.' Every possible effort was made to locato the scat of the fire. One of the first to ventnro down below was the captain, and many times bo made desperate efforts to locate tho fire, but ha was forced back by the suffocating steam and smoke. At last he was dragged up on deck in a very exhausted state, and had to be compelled to retire from the scene. , Many firemen volunteered, and in smoke- jackets went down below. Six of them suffered rather severely from tho fumes, and several were dragged up insensible, artificial respiration having to be resorted to in the caso of Fireman Walker, while Superintendent Woolly and Deputy Berry, of tho City Brigade, suffered severely with their eyes as tho result of brave but fruitless efforts to reach the seat of the outbreak. '

Foreoastle Cutted. In the afternoon, when I again visited the vessel, the paint was peeling off the starboard side forward, and the deck was uncomfortably hot. The forecastle had then been gutted, and was knee-Jeep in water, the belongings of tho seamen floating about in the hopeloss confusion.

It was impossible, owing to the denso smoke, to break away the cargo to get at the fire, and the fear was that the fire would break through on the starboard side to the main store of spirits which made up most of tho 'tween decks' cargo. Despair seemed to seizo tho fire-fighters as they realised that the desperate battle they had put up since one o'clock this morning had not succeeded in arresting tho flames. It was resolved to attempt to smother tho fire with chemicals and tho hatches were battered ■ down ' while chemicals were pumped in, but that too, failed probably owing to the fact that thero were too many rents for the fumes to escapn by It was then seen that the only hope was to flood tho hold. An Uncanny Sight. On board tho ship an uncanny sight mot the eye.. Spectre-liko forms of firemen loomed up through the fog of smoke and steam. The smell of burning was in tho atmosphere pungent, and acrid and anxious-faced officers were' hurrying to and fro while leads of hose like great grey snakes twined over the' sides in all directions. All around the waters of the harbour sparkled in bright sunshine, , and a stone's throw away tho city w"as going on with .its work. Ono realised some idea of the awful terror that fire would havo meant, if it had broken out whilo the ship was still far from port. Perhaps it was already smouldering when the shin entered the water gateway of Hnuraki yesterday.

No cause whatever can be assigned by the officers for the fire. All they know is that it had originated amongst hardware cargo for southern ports. Some people incline to the opinion that perhaps the insulation has been defective, .and the engineers estimate that damage to the extent of at least £2000 has been caused to the refrigerating plant. No idea, of the total damage can. at present bo given, and the only information is the conjecture that it will run into many thousands of pounds. Should the water break through tho other holds tho damage will bo enormous.