EXPLOSION ON COASTAL STEAMER.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1920, Page 4

EXPLOSION ON COASTAL STEAMER.

CREW’S HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE

SYDNEY, March 11

A horrible experience befel the crew of the small coastal steamer Caroo, while she was on her way from Townsville to Cairns'with a cargo which consisted, in large part, of benzine. Just after 5 o’clock the benzine, stored in the after hold, exploded, and in a few minutes the ship was on fire from the aft to the forward hold.

The explosion was terrific. The after hatch was blown clean off, and the bulkhead separating the fore from the after hold was burst. The rush of air to the forehold blew off the forehatch also. Almost simultaneously, a roaring mass of flame leaped out of both holds, as high as the mastheads. The mate, Hans Golscliott, who was off duty, was lying on the after hatch when the explosion occurred. He was never seen again—whether he. went overboard, or fell into the hold, the other men do not knqw. A seaman was lying on his mattress, asleep, on the forehatch. He was blown straight up, but, luckily, fell back on the mattress. The engineer, C. Brennan, was standing near the after hatch, and the explosion tore his clothes off in an extraordinary way, and burned him severely. He found himself between the two fires. Shielding his face with his arms, he dashed past the flames, receiving further. burns, and reached the stern, where he found a fireman, similarly cut off. All the rest of the crew were clustered in the bows. The wind drove the flames back to the stern. Brennan, who could swim, jumped oerboard and swam to the bows, where bis mates hauled him up. The fireman could not swim. So they threw over a grating and a rope attached. It drifted to the stern, the fireman jumped and caught it, and they hauled him forward to a safer place. They got a donkey engine and a hose going, and all that night they fought the flames. It was simply a question of how long they could remain on that portion of the bow not burning. They prepared a sort of raft, against eventualities. It was hours after daylight before a vessel came in sight and she, a slow lighthouse craft, did not reach them until just after noon. The wretched men were taken aboard, and the newcomer took the still burning steamer in tow and set off for Townsville. The fire burned itself out, but the empty, blackened hull duly appeared off Townsville, where is now lies. Brennan was taken to hospital, and is recovering.