FIRE ON S.S. KENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 September 1925, Page 3

FIRE ON S.S. KENT.

fItV TKLKIIK.U'H—I'KIt PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

FIR 1C UNDER CONTROL. AUCKLAND. September ft. At one o'clock the City Council's motor pump got to work on the .Kent j fire and now i 1.10 p.m.) it is under I control. Nothing is known ul the jttsiiranee. The oflieet's say that the berthing of I the ship undouhtedly saved her limn total destruction. El RE CNDER, CONTROL. AUCKLAND. Sept. fi. Though the lire in the Kent is tmw under control, it is still bunting fiercely. No flame i.s visble now tibove the hatchway, and the smoke has considerably decreased. Temporary ventilators are being erc'tod to enable I the liri'mcii to work below and gel into close eontait with the seat of the conflagration. At one o’clock, the City Council's Dennis Pump got to work on the Kent lire and since then it was got under control. Nothing is known of the insurances. The officers say that the berthing of tin ship undoubtedly saved her from total destruction. It is estimated that the damage to the insulation on the Kent totals one hundred thousand pounds. NO J HOLD HUTTED. AUCKLAND. Sept. fi. The lire which broke out at ahold four o’clock this morning in the No

j hold of the Federal Lille steamer Kent (SOof, tuns), when nurlinred in the Aueklaml Harbour. destroyed about loftO tints of cargo that was leaded at Liverpool and Glasgow. for Wellington. Lyttelton and Dunedin. Serious structural damage was caused (o the ship, the hold being completely gutted. Only through valiant effort* were the flames confined to No J hold, and prevented from penetrating the insulated hulk head of the adjoining hold. The task of estimating the damage was impossible to attempt to-day, if bring at (his stage purely a mutter of conjecture. However, the damage is certain to run info tens of thousands of pounds. I lie Konl, cost- over XMo.LOO I" Ltd' i'l IRIS. She is insulated, and her rof rieerat ing aparatils has been seriously a ll"el ed. Details ol the insurance are not, available. Fix of the firemen who went- down ini'- No J Hold received injuries to their eves through the smoko and heat and they had to he treated at. the Auckland I fo.-pital. Another fireman, who was on the hatch when the air pip: ol his helmet became jammed, thus threatening hi- life was heroically re-,-iied l.y Mr |f ,M. Barelay. Chief Engineer of the Kent. Throughout the day the flames defad ions of water poured from the top through tin- holes Lured in the side. Toward evening the brigade obtained : In- upper band, and it- was expected that at an early hour to-morrow, they would have, if prnetieallv suppressed. At about, noon the ship "a- brought alongside the Queen's wharf, where il was possible to tloni! the hatch with w ater pumped from the sea by i lie Harbour Board's tug "Eirelloatand the large engine of the Auckland lire Brigade. Tie- Kent arrived at Am klav.l fi-nii Liverpool on August JAtli. with ll.'-'ij ton- of merchandise. .Tflßo tuns lining

iII -,-lia rge-t at tin- port. Stic was -chl-llllleil to eellt ill in- her voyage South ' ll Aiig'i-t grth. I>l11 tlic crew went ell strike, and she wa-. i lierefore taken - anelioiage in the barhoiir. Had it not Leeii tor the strike most of th>cargo burned would by now have been lauded at Wellington. WANT; A Nil ORGAN ABOARD 'WANCANUI. Sept-, ft. Included in the Kent's cargo is the greater portion ol a i’.’tlKMl organ for Waiigauiii Collegiate School Chapel. I lie hiiihler, Mr K. 11. Lawton, of A herdei'ti, is hi Wanganui awaiting tie- arrival of the ci-gan. In order to erect it. He has removed the old organ from the chapel and re-erected it in Alt Saints’ Wanganui, whi--' was originally the old college ehaix-1. Tht fate of tin- new instrument. is eagerly awaited. SOME OE THE DA MAH E. AUCKLAND. Sept.. I. The Kent was moved this morning from the (Queen's to the King's wharl where she will he pumped out and the damaged cargo discharged. Later a snivel will l.e made and repairs made Il is now plain the lire was the holiest right dow il in tk-' lowest hold. Some of the cargo in liei wee.n decks is prnet ieal I v untouched. (In the nest deck lower the fire inn-1 have be.-n raging with almost melting heat tor some Tf the electrical much inery is hurne'l to a stale of ruin. The chassis of a big lour or five ton motor tuts looks like a scrap of iron, though the rubber wheels, although broken oil. escaped. H i- believed the wor-t damage will he found in the lower hold.