LOSS OF THE OVALAU.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 238, 4 November 1903, Page 2

LOSS OF THE OVALAU.

9 « 1 FURTHER DETAILS. 3 ? PLUCKY 8TOK?;R& 9 PB.SS EUTATION TO TH E CAPTAIN. 3 /KB PEKSS ASSOOIATIOH. , SrnNEY, November 3. 3 The pilot steamer Captain Cook arp rived this morning, bringing several of 3 ;b.3 passjugers of tho Otralau. The ] majority are returning by the Ysibel. , There is no truth in the statements that three firemen were irjured. The OvuliU left Norfolk Island at 5 p.m. on the 16tb, and at 6.30 p.m. on the 18tu smoke whs observed issuing from a ventilator in the forehatch, the cargo there consisting of copra shells. The vessel was driven at full speed, . and reached Lord Howe by daylight on F the 19th. By this time the smoke be- ) cams very den6e, rolling out of the ship i in volumes. Water was pumped down the ventilators continously. The lady passengers were immedir ately placed in the ship's boats and t landed. Many male p issengers stayed aboard. At 8.40 the same morning a terrific explosion occurred. The forehatch was lifted off the vessel, and flames shot into the air as high as tho top of the mast, and spread with great .npidity. I The fire soon had full mastery of the ■steamer, and all hands then took to the boats, The ship's papers and mails and the greater portion oi the passengers luggage were saved. By the time the boats were clear of the ship she was alight from end to 1 end. 1 The crew just reached the shore when another tremendous explosion ! was heard j the boilers apparently having burst. The vessel burned all day, and sank at 4 o'clock the following morning in eleven fai horns of water. Tbo residents of the island treated ail with great kindness. Oaptuin Todd is unable to furnish any idea as to the c?.use of tho fire. The explosion, he thinks, was due to unses generated by the burning copra. Whan the fire was seen to be serious the boats were swung out, and watered and provisioned. The weather was rough at tbe time, with a bead wind, The vessel, under her accelerated speed, dived into the sea and sent the foam oyer her. The passengers, who, though terribly anxious as to whether she could reach Lord Howe Island before the flUme* i enveloped the vessel, behaved splen- ' didly, assisting the officers and crew in i ev<ry way possible. i Five men in the stoke hold stuck heroically to their task, keeping steam on the Ovalau, despite the awful heat i and smoke which filled the vessel almost suffuoiting them, An address and a purse of sovereigns were presented to Captain Todd at i Lord Howe Island ou behalf of the t passengers of the Ovalau. After ex-|i pressing grateful appreciation, of the

attention to their comfort find tafety tbe address uaya : " Your ctew should r.;momber with no ordinary gratitude tbe man who rescued thetn from a terrible deaii, and then, remaining till tie last, loir, the Bhip in a boat whose [ sail* had already caughs fire. i Four of the Ovalu's crew had a narrow escape. They wern sleeping in ( the furecan le tho fire started, and were dragged out insensible. j A CREW TO BK PROUD OF. I Receive' 4, 1.12 a.m. Sydney, November 3. I Prior to the fir»t exploiion Cap rain .' Todd, believing it might be possible to i k-.op the fire smouldering, conceived [, the idea of pushing on to Sydney after , leaving the passengers on the Island. ijHo called for voluuteors in the crew ,! and they, to u m io, oilered to stick by ' ' tne ship. ■•; When it was seen the vuesel was ■ doomed theengiua-roomfrnff responded ito the chitf engineer's cill nnd druw ■ : the fires, though at the imminent peril •; of their lived.