THE WAIMATE FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 288, 6 December 1901, Page 3

THE WAIMATE FIRE.

DANGER NOW OVER. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. Napier December 5,

It was confidently hoped last night that !the worst of the fire had been passed, and the Hastings engine, which was sent for about noon, returned without being used.

Detachments of the Napier Brigade, with their eugine, stood by all night, steam meantime being pumped into the burning holds, i g|At 3.30 this morning smoke was again observed issuing from No. 4 hold with steam and it was found necessary to resume pumping in water. This time the efforts to locate the seat of the fire were successful, and although it was deemed advisable to again send for the Hastings steamer it is now b»lieved the danger is over. The fire is thoroughly suppressed in No. 5 hold.

THB WORK OF THE FIRB FRI3A.DES. Later. The fire on the Waimate, which it was thought had been successfully coped with on Wednesday night, burst out again at 3.30 o'clock this rnorninp amongst the flax' in No. 4 hoR The work of driving in steam, which had been going on all night, was then shopped, and the Napier and Spit Fire Brigade's, with their engin-a, set to work again pumping water into the hold. The sfab of the fire was located, and the stream of water directed to where the fire was burning. Gradually the increasing volume of water had its effect, but it was d< emed advisable, to make matters fully secure, to send for the Hastings Fire Big*de engine, which is a very powe'fnl odo. When it arrived the three engines were pumping water into the bold at the rate of 84,000 gallons per hour. By 5 p.m. the water had reached the level of the 'tween decks, and the Spit Fire Brigade, who had been working alternate spells of one hcur since 2 a.m. yesterday—a continuous run of 27 hours of the most arduous labour—with practically no sleep and only snatches of food, were allowed to come ashore, and they were thoroughly done up when they landed. The work doae by the Spit Brigade, as well as by the offirers and crew of the ves-el, 'practically saved the steamer, for they kept, steadily at whan appeared at times a hopeless The r< prrsen'ative of the Underwriters Associa'hn, who came off at 5 o'clock, expressed the opinion that in a few hours the fire would be completely sublned, ard latest advices received at 10.30 pm. are to the effect that it is expected the steamer will be quite saf > by midnight.