FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 62, 3 November 1885, Page 2

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

GtsuoriNi, This Day. A passenger gaT« a narrative of the fire on board the Wnirarapa. As soon as the alarm was given ho rushed into the alley-way and saw the fire'eoming through the bulkhead on the after side of the alley-way which crosses at thia part and it was a seething mass of white flame and must hare been burning for some tine on the after side of the partition before the alarm waa giren. Some of the paseengersv were with difficulty aroused from their slumber produced by the smoke. The ladies were particularly unfortunate, the greater number escaping in a single garment, but they were quickly supplied with blankets. He think* there was great neglect somewhere, for it was not known till the fire had a firm hold and had burnt through the partition that any alarm was firtn, and ten minutes more delay would hare been death to many. Had a watch been kept below, the fire would hare been discovered earlier and extinguished with little difficulty. He says the boats carried by these large passenger steamers are quite inadequate to accommodate the large numbers of passengers carried. A rough compilation has been made from which it it estimated that the clothing, money, watches, luggage, and effects, lost by the passengers would be about £2,000. Some loat all tk»ir clothing, but what they stood up in. One man states he recovered hie pocket-book, hut some notes were takes from it. The Wairarapa left for Auckland at 130 p*m. yesterday and after landing the passengers and cargo returns te Port Chalmers to refit.