A SHIP ON FIRE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4024, 1 February 1892, Page 2

A SHIP ON FIRE.

Tie Vessel SoutUoi. LnrewpN, .January §O, Shortly after"'njldmght the fire alarm was iQunded,,"end jt the ehip Eyerest, : JQBO tons/ wflwjj was bound to Lirerpool from Sydney with a flariJQ'of abate, which put ja here {or repairs, and is now being repaired in dock, was on fire, The Brigade turned out promptly. The fire had got bold aft, and when discovered it looked as it" it wasimposjible to save the -vessel. Tw6 lengths of hose were put aboard from the .high pressure eerpice. The' Harbour Board's tug was taken round, and her powerful pump was got to work with two hose. A hole was out in the deck of the ship, and all the apertures Acre olosed and a great body of water poured beldwV ,,; Two of thexrew, iai b>en working iaMie' lazerei'te 1 iW while day, and they'say they had not been' smoking or using •matches' while occupied there, ,; The fife seemed to'.. '"start"' 'there,' 1 " 'anS'- %ejd witli L .gftr9pify'':tbygh T theoabin.lazarette,and after part of the ship, Notwithstanding the largo body of water pouring in, the fire ! seemed to ground fast. The brigade and crew fought it stubbornly in spite of the dense choking smoke and - beat, Every effort ivas wide to check • it, and.the precaution was taken to ' put holes in the bottom of the: Vessel ' so'bo Uj aVa'lasJ rgSpurc's, 'let s(# into the ship antj submerge the Iff] tons shale sTje'stiif had..'(jj) bqari, j they could not submerge the ship entirely. The fire raged until 4.80 a,m„ at which time the flames weie breaking through the alter hatches,** and the sides by the rudder post, and hope of saying the vessel- ms almost given up. Shortly after three osbe plugs were taken qmoJ the Mtk and water let into the deck, and m ship submerged. The' brigade wera working . splendidly, and poured tons of water into the-'ship and by 5 o'clock' there were signs of the flames being oheoked, By 5,80 o'clock all danger was oyer.'. Captain Clark, harbourmaster j ■ Captain Tipe« hurst, Lloyd.'s '-rlprßifentativß: • and Superintendent Twdnfey, of the m . Brigade, directed the operations, !fye steamer Akary,o6jhe slip §dj6inirig, was mwefe'd'dojri'ouHf floral's way, • : MrJ. J, ginsey.'asfintiorl'bß vessel, o f: the t'anter- ; buryVnj(lerwritp , ;--Asßooiation,'e9m9, to port over the hill. The ship is verymuch damaged fthe cabin w»plat»I» i

gutted, and aft of tho stern poßt aorae of the beams are badly burned. The rudder plate was destroyed, and the Sail locker, with two complete suits ol sails, and tho storeroon., with all stores, wore completely ilestroyod. Captain Hihhert mid wile Inst all their: personal effects.. They retired at half past eleven o'clock, got to skop, and were awakened by a smell of smoke, and were just in time to seize the chronometer and get out, The cargo of shale, of which 2050 tons hud been previously discharged, was insured in Sydney offices. The hull and freight are insured in New York, but the amount of insuranceis not knowuliere.