ON FIRE AT SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81869, 19 October 1906, Page 2

ON FIRE AT SEA.

MIDNIGHT OUTBREAK ON THE TARAWERA. SEETHING MASS OF FLAMES. PASSSENGERS ASSEMBLED ON DECK. BOATS SWUNG OUT IN READINESS. FLAMES EVENTUALLLY SUBDUED.. SPLENDID BEHAVIOUR OF PASSENGERS AND CREW. GRATITUDE OF THE PASSENGERSi

Per Press Association. Auckland, October 18, ra ' hor serious outbreak of fire occurred on the Tarawera on the voy age from Gisborne. y Mr Blig-h, a passenger by the shoniTw Slat^, ' was ■awakened shortly before midnight b'y the stewhim tnT 8 t0 lus cabin and ,ellin ff the,c had »

He perceived an odour as of chfemicahin i Dff ' I He occ «P ied a deck cabin, and as he stepped out, he saw a dense smoke rising from the hatcues, saloon companion, and apparen y every opening from below, other passengers were by this time coming on deck.

Some of the crew were engaged m!! ngln /L ts out read y for lowering. Others wore combating the fire, the seat of which appeared to be under the saloon, about amidships. A hatch had been lifted and the hoses pointed below, while in spite of the dense sjnoke men descended. sruck me foroi bly,'' said Mr , H ' as the absence of anything approaching pan ic 0r extreme nervousness on the part of the passengers, though there was a fair proporL'° n . 0 "' omen and children on board. The situation, to a lands" man s eye, appeared grave." The ship had been stopped to avoid inci easing draught, and even the officers regarded the position as verv £erwus indeed, b ut the fire was eventually suppresM. It- is understood l vas conS iderably damaged. Mr Bligh, continuing, said: "The behaviour of officers and crew was simply perfect. They fought the fare Without the least sign of excitement. While the steamer wa s stopped, we drifted 86 miles from land, with the probability of having to desert the vessel in boats. When the passengers came up from the main deck cabins, they declared the smoke and heat were becoming intolerable, but we were unable to arrive at anything definite as to the extent of the fire. I suppose we were on deck jibout an hour and a Jialf when the crew obtained control. The'y quickly reduced the flames, but before this was accomplished some six or seven feet of water was poured into the hatch, i have not been able to gather the extent of the injury, but it was remarked after the fire was suppressed that the whole space under the saloon was a seething mass of name.

"The officers state about two hundred tons of cargo was affected, all in the after hold. The fire wa£ extinguished by hand grenades, and me hose, pumping five feet of water in the hold. The origin of the fire is a mystery, nothing being on board so far as is known likely to cause spontaneous combustion. The hull is not damaged, but the deck is slightly damaged. Before arrival at Auckland, Mr Bligh, on behalf of the passengers presented to the captain, officers and' crew of. the Tarawera a testimonial expressing appreciation of the successful efforts to save them from the terrible danger of fire, and admira.u ° n °f 'he excellent order main* air., ed. The quiet demeanour of ' the crew prevented any r; eed , among the passen g 4. ■ Ca P t a'H replied, acknowledg■hg the testimonial, and said the officers erew had only done their auty- He congratulated tho passengers upon the manner in which they had faced the situation, which was at one time certainly a cause for uneasiness,