FIRE ON THE KETCH KERERU

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2681, 29 January 1916, Page 7

FIRE ON THE KETCH KERERU

NOTHING LIKE A TOTAL LOSS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, January 28. The firs on the ketch. Kereru is still burning, but is well ifa. hand. , The hull, ■which is practically gutted, will be beached this afternoon. A largo quantity of the oil cargo was jettisoned, and is floating in the harbour. It is probably not much injured. It is impossible to estimate the damage yet. It now appears that a largo part of the oil cargo ".till in the Kereru will he saved through the fire brigade's efforts, and that the vessel, though badly burned, -will be nothing like a total.loss. ■ ■ THE VESSEL REFLOATED. Later. Tho fire on the Kereru was not extinguished until 4 p.m. When the work of the firemen was completed, the ketch presented a strange appearance. She lay deep in the water with her scupper awash;:. The interior- ■ was charred throughout, and the passenger cabin gutted. The hull did not appear to bo badly damaged. >" The work of removing the water commenced, the ketch soon righting herself. Soon hundreds of newly-packed cases of benzino showed above the water apparently unharmed. lijio fire had evidently been fed by the benzino contained in cases which formed the top layer of tlie cargo. The damage has not yet been ascertained. •