A SHIP ON FIRE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5073, 10 July 1895, Page 2

A SHIP ON FIRE.

A FIRE BRIGADE SUPERINTENDENT KILLED.

Earned July 9, $ p.m. Mei, bourse, July 9.

Tho fire which was supposed to ! have beeti subdued on the ship Hil- | aria a month ago, after doing considerable damage lias broken out : again and is still burning. Superintendent Gee, of tho Fire | Brigade was killed while working on ! tho ship. ; The vessel is being fired into to i Bink her. i Received, July 10, OAO a.m. Memocrne, July 9. The fire on board the Hilaria ■ started in the morning in the after i hatch. There were '2500 cases of kerosene and 200 tons of resin on board, and tho barque S. D. Carleton, which lias just arrived from Now York, after an eventful voyage, was closo astern with 50,000 cases on board, and ran great danger of catching fire, but she was towed out in time. The flames oil the Hilaria, sproad with immense rapidity, and as it was found impossible to cope with them, it was decided to tow tho vessel into the stream. Gee, the Superintendent of th« Fire Brigade, fell down tho burning hold. Another Brigade officer, O'Brien, clad in a smoke jacket, twice descended amidst the flames, but was almost overcome, and it was with the greatest difficulty, that he was rescued. Gee, who was fearfully burned, succumbed to his injuries, Meanwhile the flames had obtained such a hold that the masts fell, and it became impossible to tow the ship away. Tho man-o'-war Nelson fired eight shots into the hull in order to sink the vessel, but without effect. Eventually she was pumped full of water, and sank. An immense crowd collected upon the scene, and there was great ' excitement. The origin of the firo, which was not connected with the previous one, is a mystery. Since the ship has been discharging, the crew bas been sleeping on board, and some of thorn had narrow escapes.