STEAMER on fire

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 280, 5 December 1901, Page 2

STEAMER on fire

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) , Napier, yesterday

A fire broke out aboard the steamer Waimate in tho bay at 7.30 last night. The crew resolutely grappled with the outbreak, but the flames slowly gained on them.

At 9.30 rockets were sent up for assistance, and the harbormaster (Captain Krueft) promptly had the pilot boat and its crew in readiness to go out; but, finding that the signals had apparently ceased, no immediate action was taken.

Tho signals, however, were repeated just, after 11, and the pilot boat then proceeded to the vessel to ascertain the cause of the distress; but when about half-way to the steamer the boat was met by a boat from the Grassmere, and Captain Fletcher, of that vessel, informed the harbormaster that the Waimate was on fire, and that tho assistance of the fire brigade was required. Tho pilot boat returned with all speed to the Spit. In a short space of time the Ahuriri, with the fire brigade on board, was on her way to the burning vessel.

On arrival at tho vessel’s side great volumes of smoko were issuing from the Waimate. No time was lost by the brigade in getting their hose to work, and great efforts were made to locate the seat of the fire, which was in No. 4 hold.

Brigademan after brigademan descended in turn, protected by respirators, but as each one came up again he reported that tho fire was still' burning strongly, and that it was extremely difficult to get a good play of water on to the seat of the fire, because of its being on the lowerdeck.

At 3 a.m. the captain declared that no headway was being made in getting the fire under. Another hose waß accordingly run out. This for a time seemed to cheek the flames, which, however, only appeared to break out with renewed fierceness. At 5 a.m. the Ahuriri came in for a fresh gang of men, and the latest reports state that the fire is still burning strongly. Tho Waimate had very nearly completed loading here. She required only about 3000 bales of wool to finish, and sho would probably have left for Auckland to-day. She also has on board a quantity of cargo shipped at Lyttelton and Wanganui, details of which are not available here,

Tho s.s. Weka, which shortly after eight o’clock this morning took out about sixty men to combat the fire on the Waimate, returned at about 10 o’clock for appliances. for pumping carbonic acid gaß into the vessel’s hold. When the Weka left the Waimate the fire was still raging fiercely, though the efforts to confine the flames to No. 4 hold had thus far been successful.

The tire broke out ip a consignment of flax shipped at Wanganui, and stowed on the middle-deck of No. 4 hold. The cargo stowed in the low'er-deck has not, it is believed, been damaged by fire, but must have suffered greatly by water. Altogether, 2837 bales of wool and 321 casks of tallow were shipped here, and of this 500 bales of wool and the whole of the tallow is stowed in the lower hold below the seat of the fire. The Waimate is one of the new Zealand Shipping Company’s large cargo steamers, being 5610 tons, and arrived at Napier from Wanganui roadstead on Saturday morning, after a smart passage of 26 hours. The vessel is in command of Captain Hamon. Wellington, last night.

The only cargo in the No. 4 hold of the Waimate when she left Wellington consisted of 100 casks of tallow, shipped at Wanganui.

Christchurch, last night. The W r aimate shipped no cargo al Lyttelton.

BELIEVED THE FIRE HAS BEEN GOT UNDER.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Napier, last night,

It is believed that the fire on the s.s. Waimate has practically been got under. At 2 o'clock this afternoon the hatches were battened down, and a bore cut in the iron bulkhead of hold No. 4. A pipe was put through and steam driven into the hold. This had the effect of checking tho fire, and at 5 p.m. carbonic acid gas was pumped in the holds. The hatches will be opened to-morrow, bnt from present appearances it is hoped that the fire has been put out. The steamers Weka and Ahuriri are lying alongside with the Napier and Spit fire engines on board, ready'to render assistance if needed. No estimate of the damage can be made, nor is it known how the fire originated, except that it was amongst the flax in hold No. 4.

At 11 this evening nothing farther had transpired, no signals having been given, and no boat having left the vessel.