Fatal Accident on a Steamer.

Manawatu Herald, 1 December 1904, Page 2

Fatal Accident on a Steamer.

A STEAM PIPE BURSTS. FREEMANTLE, Nov. 29. The Orizaba has arrived. The accident occurred at seven on Friday morning. There was a terrible rush of steam which enveloped the vessel. She gradually slackened speed until she stopped. The second engineer had just come on deck to make a report. The chief engineer guessed what had happened and rushed forward to the stokehold, from which a volume of steam was issuing. After about ten minutes and before the steam hae properly cleared the engineer and white greasers descended the stokehold and saw a terrible sight. A branch of a steam pipe, eight inches in diameter, leading from the main pipe to the port forward ooiler had burst and of the eight Indians employed in the vicinity not one escaped uninjured. The greasers proceeded to draw the fires, and the engineers removed the men to the deck. Four were dead, and two who were badly wounded, died the same day. One who is seriously injured will be landed at Colombo, and the eighth is slightly hurt. The men killed were literally cooked, the hair on their bodies being literally blown off. The steam pressure was IGOlbs at the time of the explosion. The second engineer had a narrow escape, as he examined the pipe two minutes before the explosion, and went on deck to report to the chief that steam was escaping.