MAD CHINESE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 613, 15 March 1929, Page 1

MAD CHINESE

Tried to Blow Up Oil Tanker THREW HIMSELF OVERBOARD In a sudden burst of insanity, the Chinese cook of an oil-tanker recently in Auckland, ran amok and came within *a n ace of causing a tragedy. His weapon was a lighted taper—one of the most dangerous articles a man could wield on a ship carrying motor-spirit. Li Fo was the firemens cook who lost his reason while the vessel, was bound from Curacao to New Orleans, her tanks laden with petrol. One dark night he seized a taper from the galley stove, lit it, dashed out to No. 2 tank, opened the lid, dropped the taper down into the tank, and then jumped overboard. A column of flame shot up for an instant, and then subsided. Luckily for those on board there was not sufficient air in the tank to produce an explosion. The flame was caused by ari upper layer of petrol-vapour igniting. The Chinaman’s mad act had been seen from the bridge by the first officer, who sounded the lire alarm, and. jumping down on to the fore-deck, closed tho tank lid. All hands stood by at their fire stations, and a lifeboat was lowered in search of the cook. He was never i*een again.