EXTRAORDINARY DISPUTE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1830, 10 August 1906, Page 1

EXTRAORDINARY DISPUTE.

STRANGE CONDUCT- OF FIREMEN. London, Juno 30 Tot anotlior wool firo on board a Now Zealand atonmor 1 In this instance tbo Now Zealand Shipping Company’s Eimutaka was tho unlucky stoamship that suffered. Tho 11 10 V,roko out on board alter her arrivals* tbo Victoria Locks. It Rooms to havo boon of small dimensions, and I am told that it would havo boon extinguished with oaso and littlo damage by moans of tho steamer’s own appliances, but a Superintendent of i’olico took it on himsolf to send for tho (ire brigade, who camo and took possession of tho Eimutaka, pumping into her vast volumes of water, and thus doing an immensity of wanton mischief, in spite of being duly warned. Indeed, tho steamer's own lire extinguishing apparatus had to bo employed to extinguish tho stupid and officious liromen, or at loast to drivo them out of tho ship. But they did not go until they liad done vast damago. Tho Times says : —“ Tho officors who were in chargo of tho Now Zealand Shipping Company’s Rimutaka j at tho Victoria Locks on Saturday night givo a remarkablo account of their conllxt with tho Metropolitan Firo Brigado on that night, and of their efforts to prevent tho brigado from pouring water into the holds of this steamer. 'I hoso officers stato that they discovered a small lire in tho lower hold, nod that at 10 o’clock tho steamer’s gas fire-extinguishing apparatus was started. Three-quarters J of au hour later the firo wa9 practically j extinguished, and the Superintendent j of Police, who camo on hoard, was , told that no assistance was required ’1 he superintendent, however,.-float for | the firo brigade, and they came at 1 11.-to pm. Tho officer in chargo of the steamor says : 1 1 told the (iremon thero was no neod for thorn • that tho Clayton machine was at work, and if they took the hatches off they would undo all that had boeu done ; but they took no notico of mo, went down ba’low, took off the hatches, and com menced playing water all over the lower hold with throe 110303 till 1 a.m.' when tho gas was very strong, and they asked me to stop tho machino. I replied that I would net, as thoy were thereon their own accord they would havo to put up with it. They continued down tho hold until about 2 a.m , playing water all round tho hatchway.’ Tho second engineer of tho vessel also reports that he told tho Superintendent of Police that tho tire brigade was not wanted. An officer of the Now Zealand Company, who went down when ho hoard of tho five, states that ho turnod off the quay hydrant three times himself in order to stop the water, but that it was as often turned on again. This gentleman adds: ‘The Superintendent of the Brigado asked mo to stop the Clayton machine, otherwise ho would havo to briug hie men up out of tho hold, when I told him that was just what I wanted him to do. 1 <J Underwriters are much interested in this case, since, as the result of the pouring in of water by tho brigade, considerable damage was done to tho EiiruttikVs cargo; it is contended that practically no damago would have boon dono had the officers of tho steamer been allowed to extinguish tho liro in their own way. A somewhat similar collision between tho officers of tho Turakina and tho dock authorities occurred at Wellington, Now Zealand, but with a different rosult, since the officers oventuallv did their own (iroextinguishing with very {small damage to tho cargo. (Steamship owners lit modorn gas extinguishing appliaucos in order to obviate tho wasteful damago to cargo caused b.y water extinction, but if water is introduced against their will by fito brigades' oq shore, much of their cfforlo to savo loss mu3t go for nothing Tho whole a {fair in tho case of tho Eimutaka is probably a well intontionod but unfortunate blunder. A collection of 5 per cent, on account of general averago is being made from tho underwriters of hull and cargo of the Rimutaka, and this represents about 15,000.”

“ Another fire in New Zealand wool,” further says The Times, ° fins been tho cause of extensive damage to tho cargo of tho New Zealand .“steamship (Jrmpany ’a Rimutaka, while lying in the Victoria Docks. 'I he case is especially annoying to underwriters, who cannot understand why the outbreak should have boon extinguished with water when tho vessel was fitted with (he gas-extinguishing apparatus, which was so successful in tho \VaD mate fire. As it is, most of tho damage to 300 0 bales of wool and 000 bales of tiax is reportod to have boon caused by tho water pumped into the vessel. The Rimutaka, of 7051 tons, built in 1900, is valued at £105,000. Little doubt is now felt as to tho origin of these wool fires, and they are generally attributed to tho w T et season in New Zealand and the high prices for wool —both factors which explain, if they do not excuse, tho shipment of wool in a dangerously damp condition.” In consequence of tho flooding by the fire brigade, tho whole of tho cpu tents of No. 5 hold was damaged ; for the most part it was wool, but it included a small quantity of ltax and 25 bales of leather. Tho underwriters aro very much anr.oyod at tho action of the lire brigade, and at tboir request proceedings may bo begun against those responsible. There is no doubt that tho fire originated in tire wool cargo, and in this respect I may mention that one of the shipping companies recently to suffer by fire is having a bale of wool analysed to too if any chemical used in dressing the wool may prove to bo responsible. The underwriters have agreed among themselves to give a preferential rate to cargo on ships carrying lire extinguishing apparatus —Post.