THE WAIMATE FIRE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 281, 6 December 1901, Page 2

THE WAIMATE FIRE.

THL FLAMES SUBDUED.

By Telegraph—Press Association. i Napier, last night. ! The fire on the Waimate, winch it was ! thought had been successfully coped with ! on Wednesday night, burst out again at ! 3,b0 o’clock this morning amongst the flax 1 in No. 4 hold. The work ot urn tug in the • steam, which had been going on all night, j was then stopped and the Napier and Spit I Fire Brigades, with their engines, set to ! work again to pump water into the hold, j The seat of the fire was located, and the stream of water directed to where the fire I was burning. Gradually the increasing j volume of water had its effect, but it was ! deemed advisable, to make matters fullv ; secure, to send for the Hastings Fire Brigade's engine, which is a very powerful one, and when it arrived the three engines were pumping water into the hold at the rate of 84,000 gallons per hour. By 5 p.m. the water had reached the level of the between decks, and the Spit Fire Brigade, what had been working alternate spells of one hour since 2 a.m. yesterday, a continuous run of 28 hour of the most arduous labor, with practically no sleep and only snatches of food, were allowed to come ashore, and they were thoroughly dono up when they landed. The work done by the Spit Brigade, as well as by the officers and crew of the vessel, practically saved the steamer, for they kept steadily at what appeared at times a hopeless task. The representative of the Underwriters’ Association, who eamo off at o o’clock, opined that in a few hours the fire would be completely subdued, and latest advices, received at 10.00 p.m., are to the effect that it is expected the steamer will be quite safe by midnight.