THE BURNING OF THE HERA.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 653, 26 March 1870, Page 2

THE BURNING OF THE HERA.

PRELIMINARY INQUIRY. [MARLBOROUGH EXPRBSS ] On Tuesday, the 15fch inst, a preliminary inquiry into the burning of the barque Hera was held at the Superintendent's office, bpfore J. B.irleynian, Esq., H.M. Customs. MrH. Dodson asked leave to be_present on behalf of those concerned in rkx operations, having been requested by his clients to do so. Andrqas Terkelson deposed that he was master of tho Norwegian barque Hera. Sailed last from Nelson, and arrived at Port Un cler- wood on the 13th January, 1870. The vessel belonged to ihe post of Kragereo, in Norway, ?ind registered No. 90 in the Custom' House of that port. Her measurement was 220 kommercialisfs, or about 440 tons English. He hekl a certificate of competency as a master marker, issued by the magistrates of Kragereo, and numbered 18.370. The owner of the vessel was Henrich -, When arrived at Port Underwood she had on board ninety-nine bales wool, about tweuty bales flax, and forty kegs butter. The wool was stowed as a ground tier in the lower hold ; the flax was lying unstowed between decks in the fore part of the ship ; the butter was stowed in the fore peak of the hold. Commenced to receive, from the time of arrival to the day of the fire, consisting of wool, flax, wheat, and three casks of tallow. The tallow was buried in the ballast ; the flax was stowed in the lower hold, and also between decks between the after hatch aivl Ih3 prqvisi«n-room. There was one tier of wool under the flax ; the wheat was in the lower hold amidships. At 4,30 a. 111., on the 11th (Friday), the second, mate opened \he cabin door, aud cried out that the ship was on flre ; got up in bed and felt the smoke ; ran on deck and asked whore the flre was ; the watch replied on the after-hatch ; saw a great smoke ; ordered tho boats to be lowered, and then set all hands to pump and pour water down the hatches ; when the hatch was opened a thick smoke came up, but no flames could be seen ; contiqued to pour water down for some time ; felt sure from the heat that the fire was increasing ; ordered holes to be cut in the deck ; could see the flames through one of them ; poured water down and closed them as the fire advanced ; cut six lr>les in all ; at 8 a. m". determined to scuttle the ship; had burnsd bh;e lights for help from the shore until daylight, and then showed signals of distress ; the ship was layi^u in seven fathoms of wator at the time of the acoideut, about a quarter of a mile from the shore ; slipped the anchors and chains and let her drift on the beach, still scuttling her; at 11.30 am. she was aground at high water in sixteen and a-half feet ; the pumps were at .work all the time, and water pouring in. The fire was then advanced to the main hatch. The flames burst up the the after hatch, and set fire to the mai.i and mizen rigging; continued throwing water down the fore ha t eh, but without effect ; at 1.30 p in. the mair. and mizen masts fell overboard, and the flames reached nearly to the fore rigcriiiEr. All hope of saving the ship was then abandoned ; ordered the men to cut away and thrcv overboard 'everything they could get at ; the fire made such rapid progress very littlecouldbesavedjshe was then on fire from tho sternp->st to the fore risging; at 2 p.m. left the ship with all hands, as the heat was too great to remain; at 4 p.m. she heeled over on the ebb tide ; "she continned to burn until 8 p.m. On Saturday) the 12th, made several attempts to get on board, • but the heat was too great; left Kragereo in 1867 ; the ship was then insured for 10,000 specie dollars (about L 3500 English). The persons on board at the time of the alarm were— Witness ; the chief mate, F. Thorsen; second mate. P. Larsen ; steward, G. Johnsen ; a boy, O. Jansen ; Moritz, a seaman — all Norwegians ; two Russians, Jacobson and Jansen ; Thomas Gun lersen, the stevedore, and a man called Biil ; Mr Morley, four ladies, and two little boys, as visitors, Richard W. Morley, schoolmaster in Blenheim, was on board the Hera when the firebroke out. 4.30 p.m. he awoke with a sense of suffocation ; at the same time the captain called out there was fire on the ship ; got the ladiss and children out as quickly as possible, and then assisted to lower the boats, an-1 continued to work on board until the cables were, slipped at 10.30 ; remained in sight of the wreck till the fire was out ; the wood wort «*as burned to the water's edge ; the ship is now a total wreck. Thomas Gundexseu, sworn : Was stevedore on board the Hera ; was on board when the tire occurred j was sleeping in a house near the wheel ; was awoke by a noise on deck ; saw a. great smoke, a- d learnt on enquiry that the ship was o?> fire. Had heard the^ evidence of the other two witnesses ; could not give any further particulars j their statements were quite correct. This closed the evidence of the enquiry for that, day, which was adjourned.