S.S. ARAHURA FIRED AGAIN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1663, 1 February 1913, Page 5

S.S. ARAHURA FIRED AGAIN.

USE OF KEROSENE.

THE VENTILATOR BLOCKED.

Ono more* firo on tho s.e, ArahuTa was reported fft 7.20 p.m. yesterday. It seems that thi'ii timo. keroeene had been, used somewhat freely, mid the Lamblon. Station detectives believe that they now. have c. clue which will presently ".form tho basis of a criminal charge. ■ ; It will bo remembered: that on January 3G suspicion attached to three outbreaks of. firo within threo hours on the eamo \ essol. On that .occasion tho iireg occurred, in the 6econd-olass passenger accomnjodntion, and wero promptly suppressed. Last evening'e outbreak occurred in tho same compartment, but in tho ladies' •cabin. •

Tho Arahura arrived here from the West Coast on Wednesday evening, and all work on the vessel ceased at 5 p.m. on Thursday. After the last outbreaks men had for somo timo been set on watch in tho second-class accommodation, but nothing happened. The watch!was therefore . discontinued. This timo there tob I no<ono on tho look-out in this part of tho vessel. The stewards finished work at. 5 p.m. yesterday, but Eomo painters, who wore at work beWw, finished up at G p.m. At about 7.30 p.m. a saloon waiter named Bansomo and a fore-cabin steward named Cottenll wont Wow to inspect a camera, which belonged totho latter. liansome states that when they reached tho second-class snlcon he smelt fire, and drew his companion's attention to binoko issuing from a doorway. ' I p 9? m !j! lcc< l that a firo was in progress,' Cottorill rushed on deck and informed tho third officer, Mr. V, ]3, Siepen, who immediately connected up the hoso and took tho lead to tho seat of tho outbreak. Tho firo brigado. also arrived, but their services were not,needed, as tho firo then was out. On investigation it was found, that the . burn had begun amongst tho bedding, m a lower bunk in tho ladies' sleeping accommodation. Tho-bed clothing uad been saturated with kerosene, and, but for the timely arrival of tho stewards and tinrd oiiicer, a serious firo would no doubt have occurred.

_Socn during tho course of the evening, Mr. Cottenll, tho fore-cabin steward who had discovered the previous fires, stated that when ho -was Inst on board (about G p.in.r tho place was locked up, and there ivas then no sign of fire. •:' After the city fire brigade left, detectives' made'investigations, nnd it was then found, that a ventilator to the ladies' ca,bm had been blocked with rags. On tho occasion of . tho last outbreaks, tho nres.-were.discovered* by smoko 'issuing from ventilators. Evidently - tho - person or persons who (it was plain to see) had been responsible for last evening's outbreak had this.in',inind, and thought, to prevent ffom being discovered quiokly by blocking up tho ventilator. Mr. Siepcns the third officer,- who was keeping flup, was on. the bridge deck at tho time of the outbreak, keeping an eye .on a 1 .ventilators leading to tho lower part of tho Arahura, and lie stated that , A nd , JU s fc B ot to tho forward part of tho deck, .after having visited tho part' where this particular ventilator protrudos through tho dock,'when the alarm was given. . v ' .

Generally speaking,; tho damage was of a slight nature, only a raattrass and 6om© bedding: being-burnt and charred. Tho wall of tho cabin , was also burnt a little, but, even when tho Burnt articles : had been removed to tho dock, the smell of keroseno was very pronounced. '"-c : It is rather likely that an arrest will shortly be mado.