The Fire on the Wairarapa.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1500, 6 November 1885, Page 2

The Fire on the Wairarapa.

8 A; PASSENGER'S ACCOUNT. *'-" I i£' '.* ''■'-'■■■' ''• ■-'■-■ '"■■'■ AJ.4^lL£isG< NARRATIVE. f r <B^^^plN OF THE FIRE. Cby telegraph.) . (Post Correspondent.) Auckland, Wednesday. Mr J. Aitken Connell, of Donedin, sapplies the following interesting account of Star. '.-r-As .accounts of the fire - • Which! occurred on Sunday' morning on .-th^W^Mrarafa-have appeared m the Qis- ( Dome papers j wnicßTSrT'aito^Sthef^iffaccurate and ..calculated tor misleopVjrf think it maj! !tps?l^)Cb|^e]l| gsf a plain statement of the occurrence as it appeared to myself , and I have been enabled by carefiu. enqniry-Joestablish to Id wneff^>erson l al y knowledge and observation were defective. The fire origin* ated iif T smigJl jrobuavk^pv^rTas jrtht ; boot rpj^g, |nf whicli n^ojjs apdl kmvA were cleaned and "lamps trimmed. In this room^|liss9^wasrJßßnt^|t dram of kerosene oil, which holds, when foil, «boufc*fout gallons, and a swing~Jump» hung. Tne steward^ who acts as boots,, also fills; the office, of. jnghtwatchman^ from ll'f.m.iU)6 im./andtwMi engaged, probably till about 8 a.m. m cleaning nig knwMSrand)jool^. At about thathonrJift le£r*iblo^f^ni/With iiejS#^.^lL burning, and proceeded to the chief, steward's c§b"iis*s|bigh he?lcTSimed out* and thereafter went from 'tween decks; * up*lfoClhe> mai&fle3k^jEoF^rd| jfrfth* smoking room, which he was engagea mi cleaning out when the fire broke out.. There, .can' be. littie doubt, but that the* fire' "originated from > '^ l tne?liimp^jn^ the> boot-room;. It was probably left up too. high, and m consequence of . iheatingjthjr: kerosene m it took fir«| broke the glass,, and the' oil run about setting fire^to the* kerosene m the 'dram. The second! steward, whose room is only 1 Idivitledi from the. boot-room byU narrow passage^ waa. the first "p^won on board to* discover the fire.' He immediately rushe'd^iip tHe aftSr companion^: an^ | alarm on deck, and^then shouted dowm the skylights both'^siiies- 6f the ship if "Fire, fire," but" found it impossible^ after the'lapse of the few seconds he.hadl beep pn, ; deck,to' g«t ; back to^his caßid. Heilien w^nt'down the main companion and alarmed "the ladies, ' who were also.. bein^fbused byf the ' : '.cries 1 ' of JißS'^cliaei stewardees. Both stewardesses and one lady^an^a little boy were slebpinif af t'o'f tlie cross passage, ' which' leads Irom'one wdeo u f'the^ship ! to ihe' dth'er^ pSlsi>ih*e booiroo'm. All' these Ivies' esca'pla' along before f theifi4mes hadjtakSn serious hold, but the, r second stewardess, who turned D&k to^ee thai the children were all' out of nursery, wasspverely burnt m rushing p^ast the passage, down which iii'a^erys few* seconds the flames w.ere pouring. : f .1 ,was myself .sleepmgdh a berth on the a'tarboard'side of fncfsnipV 18ft from the boot-'ilobm, and had only ,tiine,. to. escape with? somewhat scantyclothing. 'I Sp r rkpid ; th* r sprea^ 'or*.''%eft wad vJbiu^%pfs&6k^e^wliipb>! filled that part of the r deck|g\ : that, many ladies had no time id secure'othercbveriug than their nightdresses, tunately a plentiful supply of b'lahlcefgj :'-om the forward part of the ship was sbbti'-'obtained. The. i^die|jswerj^>oonducted Hps,tairs»to the^lafhW cabin om the main deck, and subsequently wbem there "appeared serid'us < danger oit the getting altogether^ th^^p^tjtoiidl to the captain's cabin (^!Hwrnc«ej €eckJfc\Ssithin'seig{^fr ffH^lj^tfftr the fire broke outj(4La.m.) vanous fire gangs were all at their posts wUh relays feet discipline was inaintain^U^throueihoafc. In a short time it became apparent; tha"L. the had taken serious holdi room, all blaming «*ittt "liquttrKerosenei. and immense volumes of smoke were* ppttritfg.otitfof ,eveT3^kyj(igh^an:4<|yenti- ! lator, >"i a short time followed by flame* io'flikroVijg^iiill'higk as^^et^eJb^Tr oane dec^pn fige ? but.as the^Jiose could always play upon' 1 deck 'if was merely .badly charred. The. vhole of the fir© 'gangT u Wprfeer f! B^ withats'naing ' J theirii- 1 utmost efforts the fire gained -steadily upon them ■^>u/tb:!Ahe [ii2Ce«ithfrf Pftpenigers^left the ship, .atjwMchitii^e. the fire was at its height. At four' oxlock the ship .waa.fabout - 20, mjl©jsu from Gisborne. ■m Sling WfiTi&fe-Vlrv^ght bree^Ahead^ which^hp^evejr, rreshened considerably before we got to Gisborna,. but again fell. , Immediately the fire was: discovered, the captains ordered theship to^ .be gUtVat top speeci ahead, with a>. view, (if^ssij|ie/jof r^'ch^g- the anchorage at€ris^rne> 'Thefirejwas raging at its worst, but separated by! the iron walls: of the engi-ie-rooni from. tbSt important, compartment. These, walls m several places became red hot, and thee)i2ine|tsptfi yra3 jfilled .fwith quantity of shioke. ' The' alnibspheie! was sfjfljng^rom tha^oause^jid the intense heat, but the engineersltuck firmly/ ,tp[their| TheVrsScpnd-eoemeer k I oehtve, remaihed^below 'at Hm 'engines 'the-whole iime of the!.^e^bj|t*^|gMjstfivfi niinute^jbefore.we .reaqned Gisborne ho jent up word he i would v 'he*c l ompe) l ed to [come oi^dec^JS a^er/»bort ttfirer^hiß intimati6n',WM conyejed to the^Captain, who sent foaok' wordtd'say that if compejled to leayepther engines were to be left 1 ati ; riill? speed,* andithkt^Kh^Ahe wanted .them; stopped jchej a would bring the ship up so as tojsend the smoke dear jpf (the , when, they, mustendeavor to run down and stop the engntei. Meantime the J> piace ;: 'of anchorage was reached, and a signal given to stop the ! engineV: This was' done r >b"yfithe[ 'second 'engineer} J and, the engines? wereialgpi.dQ'y' revers^^ popped, iaqd* iaU,,^ecesjwiryvalves attended to to ensure the aatetyof .|The command to .^ekgo anohor was given, but as o t|ie sfifp Bad a'lfttlo more way on thai) was usual some of 1 the- cable was injured by.the strain^hea » the, -anchor r took the around. wAbiout 'HaTf^an- J j£pr-47tef-thfe9'^^^ of the ifirejrfrth&, F second^ offiaer was or« dereoplb 5 &t r ffl*%liß^Bokf f- cleared r .,ready/ -,to ..lower which -juras [§one A ' : iH^^feoP^der^ as the/anciidrageMfas reached, the boats • were ordered to be lowered, and the Jiadiejß ■ w,ere and safely placed m the nrs v t Boar. No cor. fusion or panic -of- any kind whatever took place among the passengers. So far sfronr^ttbeingieorreotethatathere was any rush eitkeb^^th^te^Si an y of tho other boap«aWapp^r^^gthe Gisborne paper,! I^awjaj n|im^«)f ladies still standinff|pn the'hurricanel d sck after a number k&l gone,fo4he»gan rway, and I went myseifup[torp^rs^atfe ;hem to go m thejbpjati and;c^ne)£a!o^ c girl to the. eang«ay^rWJ^ud6jng^^ heard the captain siag oat w hurry up the ladies or Hunt n^thef ladi6s>olforget whioh. I went mys^lLin the fourth boat, and was time the. first three boats were being filled.-aridl am'quite sureithUt rthel'conduct of , all the passengers was most creditable' io^hem:- At v thii timers I have said, the fire was at its very worst. Nd' one Jimaginbd'ithati therev^was any . chance of savingjhe ship. One or two ot the .hands of the fire gangs showed f ß ymt)tdmS v 'of : leaving i their pOßts,3 but were strongly ordered back by Captain Chatfieldj'whbremitined cool as a cucumber the whole Just as we left the ship . one of the crew or firemen broke into'ihb' spirifcirdomJibut-thfeJclptain sent one of the / stewards aft with a large hammer and orders to break m pieces everytfvesseT c : ontaini%£Bp?fitßf&?&ica order was carriedaiout, and probably

? saved'"ttie dhfp. *"Meaiitime the -whole of the conditions under which the work of endeavouring to' subdue the fire has hitherto been carried on were changed by the fact- of the vessel being no longer under way. It had bemti found impraqticable, on account of the immense volume of smoke which filled the 'twecndeeks, to set those men stationed onthat deck, a position to .command the fire with effect. Now; however, the idea ocr curred to break m the 'dead lisrhts atad play the hose upon tlie burning mass from- the outside through the portholes. As soon as ,ihis happy thought was given effect to, 1 the difference' beeaine at once apparent,;, and m ; spiuething und^r an hour "frnni the time tTie passorigers left tlie ship, the fire was so effectually got under that it became apparent that all danger was over. The passengers wer£ distributed.;, ; throughout hgtels m G-lsborne, but it being found 'the ship was uninjured m an.important degree as regards her hull and machinery, it was j i „decided,to,bring,the passengers tojAuqki. land. The highest credit is due tojthe staff of cooks and stewards,-, who; made very great and successful efforts to enj. sure the 'comfort; of the passengers under circumstances which have unquestion-^ ably been of a -most trying kind, and have involved them m a large amount Ojf extra labor., .In coriclusidn, \l. may state that whilst' a very serious mishap has 1 unquestionably iaken place, we may all be thankful that it has been no worse. I \in}.seUJi with some dozen .others bertns 1 We're' enftrelyv b l urht;' ldst ' nearty thp ,yrh.ole, of our luggage and somfe 'valuables; ; ' But 'nb 4 "lives have been 'lost. Had it not been^for the apparently trifl!ing fact that the §hip had a list to starboard, and x ßo.tlie fiery current of blazjing kerosene came^ihtothe^starboard side of the ship, certainly a large 'number pf ladies would have been dreadfully burnt, and some of them m all possibility woulfl have ; lost 'their lives. ; Had the -morning not also been calm and fine, or had wje been ten miles further from our anchorage, I doubt much whether either shij> ior passengers .could .Have; been\sSvedr.| j