OIL TANK OVERFLOWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19994, 11 January 1927, Page 10

OIL TANK OVERFLOWS.

PENETRATES IN SULATION. CARGO UNLOADED TO AVOID DAMAGE. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, January 10. An accident occurred on board the Federal Line steamer Huntingdon at Queen’s wharf on Saturday morning, when an oil fuel tank situated at the bottom of the vessel overflowed, and some of the oil leaked into No. 3 lower hold. The hold is insulated for the carnage of frozen cargo, and contained a large quantity of butter, which had to be unloaded to prevent it from being damaged. Gangs of waterside workers were employed for about 11 hours unloading cargo on to the wharf and then reloading it into No. 2 hold, the work being completed at 9 o’clock on Saturday evening. It is reported that very little damage was done to the cargo, but the oil has penetrated the insulation covering the floor of the hold. In consequence all the insulation affected will be taken out, and will have to be renewed before any more cargo can be stowed in that part of the steamer. The Huntingdon is one of the largest of the Federal Line’s fleet, her tonnage being 10,951 gross. After loading at Port Chalmers, Lyttelton, and Wellington, she reached Aucldand on Friday to continue loading. Later she is to go to Napier and Gisborne to fill up with produce for London, Avonmouth, Glasgow, and LiverP °As the Huntingdon had been loading at Auckland for only one day the hold affected contained very ttle _ Auckland cargo, the produce affected being butter loaded at Wellington. It is not known how long it will take to effect repairs and whether the accident will delay the steamer.