Ship Ablaze at Sea

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 789, 9 October 1929, Page 9

Ship Ablaze at Sea

THRILLING STORY OF CREW Explosions in Red-Hot Hull LIFEBOATS ADRIFT FOR TWO DAYS (United P.A. —By Telegraph — Copyright) Received 10.30 a.m. MELBOURNE, Today. THE crew of the British steamer Siltonhall, which left Durban on September 5 for Adelaide and which was abandoned in the Indian Ocean, has reached here. The ship was carrying a cargo of English coal, which caught fire. The men told a graphic story of their experiences. They said that when they took to the boats in mid-ocean, the Siltonhall was a mass of flames.

Formerly called the Nurtureton, the Silton Hall, a ship of 6,055 tons, was built in 1912 at Stockton. She was owned by the West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Company. The men said that a series of violent explosions in the holds shook the vessel from stem to stern. The heat was so terrific that the steel decking plates were buckled, and the hoses were burned. A heavy swell made the task of launching the lifeboats extremely difficult. In the heavy rain and wind the boats became separated during the night and were adrift for 44 hours.

The discomfort was intense. A gas explosion in No. 3 hold blew the hatchway high into the air, and the flames shot up toward the bridge. The water service was dislocated. The men added: “All hope of extinguishing the fire was lost. By the time we cleared the Silton Hall she was an awe-inspiring sight. From the deck to the sea-level on the lee side the vesesl was red hot, and explosions were occurring intermittently.” After nearly two days, the men were picked up by the Anthea. The Silton Hall was left behind, a. hopeless wreck, and still burning.