FIRE ON THE KAIK0URA. OUTBREAK IN THE HOLD. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED. Christchurch, Feb. 19.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 345, 23 February 1889, Page 6

FIRE ON THE KAIKOURA. OUTBREAK IN THE HOLD. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED. Christchurch, Feb. 19.

A fire occurred, last nighb on board fche Kaikoura, which arrived oarly yesborday morning with meat from Napier and Wei" lingbon already sbored, and space for loading. The Canterbury meab was prepared for loading to-day and to-morrow. Tho steamer was berthed at tho wharf, and all was going well till last nighb, when an undue quantity of steam showed that somobhing was amiss. The coal lot' the voyage home was nearly all aboaid, only some bwenty tons being required to make up her complement. This was to be placed abroad during the next few days and the ship bo sail on Thursday by seven o'clock. The quantity of steam escaping showed that the fire had originated in the forepart of the vessel, in the neighbourhood of No. 3 bunker, in which bhc Norbh Island meat -was stored. The lirsb indication ol the fiio was in the 'tween decks. Above this is a wooden deck, which is covered with half-inch steel. The deck having by this time become quite hot, Captain Crutehley, who was on boaid when this was discovered, immediately had holes cut in the deck and a water supply with tlnee hoses fed by the main boiler turned on. In addition he secured the assistance ot the tug Lyttelton, whose pumping gear was also brought into request. By means ot this immense How of water, the spread of (ire was anested andconlined to tho forepart of the ship. The men weie working in the thick of heat and smoke and steam, bub so admirably waa everything conducted that no fuss or contusion existed. Seeing that the meat was in danger of being destroyed, he communicated with the JUapid and Done, and all available hands trom those vessels were soon on the spot to lend assistance to transfer the meat on to the deck, pending the extinction of the lire. This was done in a remaikably expeditious mannei. A ssoon as the chamber was relieved of meab the opeiation ol extinguishing the ore wa^ proceeded with moie easily. The bunker.-. Mere pietty well failed with water, and being water tight tho lire was soon extinguibhed and by midnight was out. Dining the time it raged the men had a hard fight. Those who had chaige ot the nobles of hose were letdown by iopeo through the bunker lius and after standing the heac as long as they could weie relieved. Mr Bennett, the shipping company's agent at the port, was in Chriptchuich at the time, and hearing that something was the matter, he walked over the 1 ills and arrived to hnd thac the tiie was in hand. It no doubt originated in the hold immediately below the 'tween decks, where it was Hist discoveied. This part of the ship is fully loaded with coal, through which pass at intervals steam pipes. These aie, however, coveied with asbestos felting, and it is hardly possible that they would create spontaneous combustion, though it is thought by some that clamp heat ot a bare steam pipe passing through coal likewise damp might be the cause of such an outbreak. Some of those piesent at the early stages of the lire say that they distinctly perceived a smell of burning wood. As, however, these pipes, wherever they came into the partition, are thoroughly well coveied with metal, it is probable that the smell of wood burning was only the heating of the frozen decks above lefeired to. CiiRisTCHURCii, Feb. 20. Subsequent examination nhowe the tire on the Kaikoura was confined exclusively to the coal bunker under the second saloon. This being iron throughout sustained no damage whatever, the only loss being the quantitj' ot coal destroyed. The combustion of coal was due to the asbestos telting used for packing the steam pipes passing through the coal being worn otl, theieby biinging tho pipe and coal into contact. The meat was lemoved from the chambuib alongside and placed in safecy in one fuither away. As the refrigerator continued working it was kept in perfect condition and now the vessel is quite restored to its former appearance.