FIRE ON BOARD THE HIMALAYA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4980, 9 March 1877, Page 7

FIRE ON BOARD THE HIMALAYA.

About two o’clock on the morning of Feb. 16, the firebell rang blit its dreadful note; and gave all within heariUgtho tidings: we so much fear, especially at dead of night, when more 'than at any other time our fesirs.are sharpest. ;‘ ( lt was not till some time after 1 thb fire-bell rang that those astir or roused from their 'beds/by the noise were able to discover the'whereabouts of the fire. On proceeding to the police station a few minutes after’ the first sound of alarm, our reporter heard that the fire was. oti the wharf, and oh going in that direction found that it was even so,' the scene beipg op the Himalaya.’ From the hurried, enquiries "capable of being made, all that could be learned was that smoke was seen issuing from the main hold half-past one'o’clock; and upon this the crew were 1 roused, aud preparations made for extinguishing the fire. The hatches were taken up, and immediately ’an immense Volume of smoke issued forth, the fire appearing to be'smouldering down'below. <The ship’s belkwas soon exercised, and those of; the other .ships were quickljr set ringing, the news of .the misfortune, ,tb r the ‘ Himalaya/no sooner beingcommunicated''to the neighboring shipping than plenty of willing hands i were found ready to lend Sturdy assistance, ; Unfortunately Th;e fire brigades were some little time, before, arriving, ,in consequence of the difficulty, of. bein' l -' able 1 to ascertain the/direction of the fire, for it must 1 be i remembered (that there , was no sign iof .a. jblazei,, .andviithe; night ; was too dark, to see -apy , smpke. • .A coqstable was despatched to' communicate the intelligence to Captain Moss, arid’ soon after ’the Centrals made ;,their kppeararioe with 1 -tills hose-reel, followed a few-minutes, afterwards by the Wellington r .,The scene was an exciting one.' The ' wharf crowded, for news flies faster than-the wind, and.the' direotibnof; the-fire was 'soon knbwq. Some time prior to the arriyal ofThe-brigadet, .two hand-engines had been at.\vork, but witli ,little; apparent effect,', the hold continuing'to .belch fbrth smoke ominously.-'The Himalaya ‘had been unloading for some ,time,, more than half her cargo probably s,being; out. She brought general; merchandise-in. addition to iron. ■, , / rj . For some , time the general impression Was that the'fire'wait confined To‘the after part of The .vessel, 1 and-the,;aft'eri,hatch alone was;, opened, it being feared to,j open- the main ..hatch,,,lest the admission of a curpnt'of/ajr should 1 fah* the smbuldering 1 substanceHntuja flame, and thus render extinguishment nimje; difficult. But the main' hatqhLwas eventually ‘; uncovered, and the, effect was, precisely the same' as in the other—the smoke broke'forth densely/’ It was assumed, however,' that it proceeded from the’after part i'of' -the there being’ communicationthrough./. 'The brigades with their hose lent great assistance. Four,branches played down the after hatch;, but apparently vdth little effect."" - ' Several’ seamen" went ' down to the upper hold, the fire being in the lower hold,; they having lanterns with them,, for. the-purpose, of enabling' the branchmeii above to direct the streams of water, which poured' down incessantly thanks' to the energetic "performances of the-men at the hand-enginCs pn the'Wharf, Wlhqworked indefatigably. jrAfter.a considerable.jyhile ppinioAs because conflicting (as" they generally .So,! qy the way)'aa;to'what'par£ of"the : ’ F vessel w’as on fire, and to make 1 ,, the. posiriou/more clear,.tljie carpenter ot : the Himalaya,' who was down 1 below, volunteered' 1 ; to ; .. r go-.‘’down "to the' lower hold. , A rope/wW lowered "to and he descended, went dbwn into'the darkness and the suffocating ""smoke.; ! , He remained" there somb’time, during which’there was many an- anxibhs thought • for, him/ ■ Presently ■' the rope tightened ‘ and ke /was", hauled '' np to.tpe upper hatch and the eurtace pretty well choked, being I 'scarcely ' able ' tb 1 ‘ ' speak. : ' He • wlas unable to .' ascertain, much; hut from 1 what he could see' the fire-was in the'fore'part of ‘the 'vessel/ There" was for-it; therefore', 1 but to keep up the stream of water in the hope of deadening the fire;/and ‘this’ was dohe^accordingly/ ; I If had’ a-lmost escaped us .to’ 'mention- the services of the Armed Constabulary men, who were as ushal prompt -in: attendance, and they worked like very Trojans. At, half-past three o'clock the smoke began to clear, and by four the fire was ' well' under; although requiring jto be watched. ‘ ! •• .'7™ ,! An accident happened to.one of the 'Centpl Brigade men, who fell over the wharf during the fire/and one' of" his- comrades' went down and rescued him;' ; : . j We regret to 'say-that’the fire was not unattended by, loss' of life.’’ 'When the fire had been got under'the bodyof the watchman {on board was found with life' quite extinct at the /bottom of “the' main "hatchway. .An inquest into'the cause of his death ; will .pe lield afc two p! clock this day{ • j