FIRE ON A STEAMER.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 August 1919, Page 7

FIRE ON A STEAMER.

.-..___._0.._:... i DESTRUCTION OF VESSEL. SERIES or EXPLOSIONS. As the result of an outbreak of ‘fire in a forward hatch, the steamer Wauchope, small vessel well‘ Known in the Tasmanian trade, which was lying in quarantine off Portsea, prior to her voyage to King Island, via Launceston, was -totally destroye'd, together with her cargo, says -a Melbourne paper. The passengers had to be taken ashore iin the vcessel’s boat. l The alarm was given at half-past leight o’elock by the donkeyrnan, who noticed smoke. issuing from the ventilators. There was a consignment of benzine in the hold, and no. :tinle was lost in getting the hoses to work, whileat the same time "the. crew began to remove the cases of benzine. Evenltualfly fCaptain Bonnet-'t decided to beach the vessel. Soon rafter midnight the impossibility of saving the 'Wau-ch-opo was realised, and the crew were ordered as-hore. The captain had not long returned tothe pier when :there was a. tremendous explosion, due to the bursting of one of the gas cylinders. Other cylindfffs also exploded at irregular intervals, and each time the bay was lit up by a dazzling white light_ At. about 3 a.m. the last and largest explosion occurred, shattering the top Side of the Wsauohope, and scattering :the wreckage. all around. The force of tlie explosions had gradually} driven the. Wauchope into deeper water, and at 5 a.m. she started to drift with the. tide towards -Sofrerrto pier, burning fiercely. The Vfiauchope Went around the Portsea side of the Sor—rento pier, and is lying ‘on a sandbank about 200 yards from the shore. Her funnel is still standing, but her masts and top gear are all destroyed,