FIRE ON A TRAIN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 223, 3 January 1911, Page 5

FIRE ON A TRAIN

A MAIN TRUNK EXPRESS INCIDENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Rotorua, January 1. Some excitement was occurred on the Main Trunk express, which left Wellington at 9 p.m. on Friday, by the dining car catching fire. Although at one time the position was serious, the outbreak was extinguished without extensive damage. ' The dining oar was shunted 011 to the express at Raurimu at breakfast time on Saturday, when it was noticed that the heat of the chimnov was causing a slight smouldering inside the lining of the ceiling. The motion of the train creating a draught, increased the smouldering. The fire was attacked by the dinin? car staff, and it was believed it had been put out. The occupants of the -train knew nothing till about 10.10 a.m. on Saturday, when the express pulled np nit Poro-o-tnrao. The fire was then again burning somewhere inside the ceiling. The engine pulled the diner under a railway tarik, and after a man with an axe had hacked a ho!" on the top of the car, tho water from the tank was poured into tho aperture. A crowd of passengers watched the operations, and camera shutters clicked on all sides. One of the train staff happened to pass behind the car when the tank arm was pushed away after tho fire wna extinguished, and he received a ducking. The passengers were much amused until they found out that no dinner could be served as a result of the fire.

If the outbreak had not been cheeked early there was a chance of a serious explosion, owing to the proximitv Of the gas reservoir. The ear, No. A 077, has been on fire on a previous occasion. A flaw in the asbestos packing nromit the top of the chimney was said to be the cause of Saturday's outbreak.