Fire on Board the Queen of the South.

Manawatu Herald, 4 February 1904, Page 3

Fire on Board the Queen of the South.

THIRTY BALES OF FLAX DAMAGED.

Last night about 11 o’clock, just as Captain Harvey was having a look around his ship to see that everything was alright, prior to his retiring for the night, he noticed smoke issuing from thd ladies’ saloon in the after part of his ship. He immediately called all hands on deck, who set to Work endeavouring to extinguish the flames. Some 30 bales of hemp was stowed in the saloon, and it appears that the fire originated in one of these just inside the door. As soon as the door was opened the draught from outside fanned the then smouldering fire, and the cabin was soon abi. ,se. Owing to steam having been allowed to go down as soon as the lumpers finished work for the day, the work of mastering the flames had to be done with buckets. The crew, however, worked like Trojans, and soon their efforts were rewarded by seeing the flames extinguished. The tide being high, the damaged hemp was rolled out on to the wharf, and the ship was placed beyond danger. The bulksheads of the cabin are considerably scorched, but otherwise not much damage was done to the steamer. The whole of the bales damaged are branded “ T.C.R.,” and come from Rongotea. The origin of the fire is a mystery.