FIRE ON A KETCH.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 22, 12 September 1914, Page 8

FIRE ON A KETCH.

ENGINEER SEVERELY BURNT AND SUCCUMBS.

1 Pjbr Peers Association.j

Auckland, September 11

A fire broke out on board the auxiliary ketch Endeavor in Rangitoto Channel this afternoon. As a result the vessel sustained serious damage, and the engineer, Phillip James Kunst, was so severely burned that ho died from his injuries. The Endeavor loft the Queen's Wharf at 2.45 p.m. for Whangarei, and was lowed back to port two hours later with the after-part of the hull a mass of flames, which were shooting out of the cabin com-panion-way.

The unfortunate engineer was seen groping his way out of the engine- ! room through smoke and flames. He ! was helped on to. the deck by the captain, and was seen to be seriously burned and in great pain. The tug Te Akhina, in a few minutes, was alongside the burning vessel. Captain Gardiner immediately ordered the hose to be connected up, and a steady flow of water was played on the flames. Before the tug came to the rescue the crew of the Endeavor had succeeded in preventing the flames from spreading to the forward part of the ship by forming a bucket brigade. With the dense smoke issuing from her after-cabin, the Endeavor was towed by the Te Awhina into port, and berthed across the end of the Queen's Wharf. The City Fire Brigade was then sumomned, and with the assistance of a fire float the vessel's cabin and engine-room were flooded and the fire extinguished. Kunst was taken to the hospital. The cook of the Endeavor, W. Sutcliffo, was also slightly burned about the head and face, and was removed to the hospital. Captain Ragg states that he has no idea as to how tho fire occurred. The engineer at the time was filling the fuel tank from a tin, and" the liquid must have become ignited by some means. There was no explosion.

Tho whole of the after-cabins and engine-room were completely gutted, while flames hurst through the cabin roof and scorched the sails. Most of the vessel's hull on the port side aft was almost burned through. The holds and the forward part of the vessel were not damaged in any way. The Eendeavor is an auxiliary vessel of 76 tons gross register, and is owned by the New Zealand Portland Cement Co., Ltd. She is fitted with a 30-horso power engine.