FIRE ON THE TURAKINA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 5 October 1907, Page 2

FIRE ON THE TURAKINA.

AN OUTBREAK AT SEA. VESSEL RETURNS 1000 MII.HS TO Wellington. Per Press Association. tit , • Wellington, Friday. < 1 a-. u . rakma < wllidl lel't Auckland on ; ' e : f , fol 'is signalled outside rn 011 " Cfu ' s with her cargo on firo. I lie lire broke out in No. i hold among fcciieuii cargo, consisting largely of wool, flax and tow. It was first noticed at a 0 clock on Sunday afternoon, when j the steamer wag 550 miles from the . Chatham islands and a thousand from Wellington.-._ This hold and the forepart of the vessel was sealed down to prevent a draught of air entering. The sulphur-oxide engine began to pump extinguishing gas into the part affected, and water was played on the top of the hatch. The outbreak was confined to the 'tiveendecks, No. 1 hold. It was held in check till the vessel arrived in Wellington at 11 o'clock to-day. , It is not anticipated that there will be any great difficulty in completely suppressing the Jlre. The extent of damage will not " e t known till later in the day. The official report of Captain Forbes states Hint the vessel's boats were provisioned and ready for immediate use. All speed was made for Wellington. Unfortunately strong winds were met, culminating in a heavy gale and high sea on the night of October 2nd.

FRUITLESS SALVAGE OPERATIONS. TIRE ASSUMES SERIOUS PROPORTIONS. FLOODING COMMENCED. POSITION' STILL SERIOUS AT MIDNIGHT. Per Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. "The figures aro not in New Zealandeven the Head Office does not know them," was the answer to a question put at the New Zealand Shipping: Company's office regarding the insurances on the hull of the Turakina. The Bteamer is covered, but the amount is not available yet. Several of the crew of the Turakina, with smoke helmets on, went down into the crew's quarters adjacent to the hold where the fire occurred. The smoke was not dense, but it was very pungent, and air had to be pumped to the men. A lot of the personal effects of the crew were brought up. Nothing appeared to be burned. Superintendent Hugo, of tlie Fire Brigade, made preparations for dealing witli the fire. When the hatches, were taken off, the Terawhiti, tlie_. salvage lug of the Union Company, was put into commission, working her large 8-inch pump. Punts were towed alongside the Turakina to receive the damaged cargo, and lorries were drawn up alongside the wharf for a similar purpose. The hatches were taken off at 3 o'clock. They were rfmrreii underneath, especially on the port side. Superintendent Hugo directed the extinguishing operations. Bales of flax singed all round, but not burned through, Were got up. They were stowed up to UiS combings Several leads of hose were kept playing into the hold while the unloading was going on. The ship's hoses were played on- the burning hemp, and they were swung over the side of the ship to both the lorries and the pontoon. As the hemp was taken out of the hold, there was a steady in-, crease in the volume of smoke which issued, and at 4p.m. the position began to assume a serious* aspect. All the ship's hoses were then directed into the hold, and the discharging operations were suspended. The "men in the overalls," however, had proved themselves heroes in the fastening of the slings around the burning bales of hemp, and not till the smoke and steam became 80 dense that their figures were scarcely discernible did the cargo-workers beat a retreat. Ominous tongues of lurid flame occasionally shot out between the lower hatches of the 'tween decks. The Water was quickly directed upon the flames, which, however, seemed to lick up the liquid and instantly convert it into long sinuous columns of smoke and steam. The fire was gaining Bteadily, and It was realised shortly after 4.30 p.m. that there was no hope of saving any cargo in that hold, and drastic steps were urgently required to save the vessel from serious injury. By an almost providential coincidence, the Union Company's new tug and fireboat Terawhiti was rigged yesterday morning to test her fire-pumps. The two big ten-inch, centrifugal pumps treated the public to a display of waterlifting yesterday at-midday, when tho vessel at her berth near the Customs House raised two columns of water ten indies in diameter 30ft above the level of the harbor. Mr. W. A. Kennedy, local manager of the Union Company, was asked by Captain Forbes, o'f the Turakina,"at 4.40 p.m. to send the Terawhiti round to flood the hold. At 5.15 p.m. tho captain of the crufter • Challenger sent a boatload of men with u hand force-pump to the assistance of the Turakina, This pump was at first useful in keeping down the water in Old shelter deck of No. 2 hold, as the water threatened to rise and flood that hold.

Five minutes after the Challenger men arrived, the Terawliiti, under command of Pilot Dawson, drew alongside. A gang of men under the supervision of Mr. J. Daniel, the Union Company's superintendent of repairs, fitted up the big pipes on to the Terawhiti's ten-inch pumps. In the meanwhile a five-ineh and a three-inch hose was passed up from the Terawhiti, and the Fire Brigade's smaller steam engines -arrived on the scene. The brigade directed a fiveineh and a three-inch hose into the hold. When the 900 tons of water an hour pumped up by the Terawhiti's two big pumps and all the smaller hose were pouring into the vessel for an hour, the Turakina began to list at an uncomfortable angle. The fire continued in the 'tween decks, just beneath the shelter deck, and clouds of steam and smoke made the work of the firemen and* others most unpleasant. After 5 o'clock rain began to fall, and the southerly wind dropped. The smoke and steam now found its way into No, 3 hatch. The roar of the heavy volume of water as it spouted out of the Terawhiti's pipes sounded like a huge cataract, and it was with difficulty that the voices of those around the No. 1 hatch could be heard. i

As darkness set in the position remained unchanged, although the Turakina listed more and more in towards the wharf. The firemen who had gone down with smoke jackets on earlier now found it impossible to enter the shelter deck. The rain ceased after an hour or so, but the steam and smoke continued with undiminished volume.

Crowds lined the wharf, but were not permitted to approach the vicinity of the Wth occupied by the steamer. At 8 o'clock the Turakina settled on the bottom, as the continuous efforts of the pumps had depressed the vessel forward to such an extent that she waa touching bottom in 31ft of water. The fire now wrapped the middle 'tween decks in a blanket of gold, which was almost obscured by the olouds of steam find smoke which wefe vomited out of the hatch. i

One man, more venturesome than the others, whilst leaning far over the combings directing the hose on the flames, was suddenly wrapped in a funn»l of very dense smoke. Ho managed to emit a stifled call for help, and happily a life-line was attached to his waist, and he was pulled away from the hatch in a gasping condition, but he soon pulled himself together. The Challenger, lying at anchor in the stream, turned her searchlights on to the Turakina during the major portion of the evening. At 9 o'clock the deekihgof the fltar-

board side of the hatch begata to. steam like a miniature thermal region, and the hose was turned on the spot. The dock then buckled, as the result, apparently, of the burning of 260 bags of kauri gum which was stowed under the deck at that spot. Just before midnight there was no apparent change in the position. Huge volumes of smoke and steam were issuing from the vessel, and the attempts to subdue the outbreak continued with unabated vigor,

A fire broke out on the Turaitina on 27th September, 1905, while she was lyinjr al&ngside the Glasgow Wharf at Wellington. The outbreak was extinguished by 'the chemical engine. The cargo at (hat time consisted of wool, (lax, tow. and other New Zealand produce intended for London. On discharging (he cargo, it was found that the fire originated in some flax and wool shipped at the Bluff. About ninety hales of wo>l and flax were damaged. On that occaI sion the Collector of Customs found "that the wool and flax were on fire in No._'i hold 'tween decks. As to the cause! I cannot give an opinion, unless to spontaneous combustion of the flax or wool," i, ,