STEAMER ON FIRE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9147, 1 November 1919, Page 7

STEAMER ON FIRE.

RETURN TO WELLINGTON.

(Per Press Association.) | WELLINGTON, October 31. Word was received in Wellington.this morning that tlie City of Winchester, which left Waitara on Wednesday for Melbourne, is returning to WelliiigtoH owing to an outbreak of lire either in tlie refrigerating room or the ship's hold. No particulars are available. A cargo of frozen meat for Home is on board. Later. The City of Winchester arrived at 6.20 p.m. and berthed • immediately, l'iio lire is in the insulation in No.. 2 hold, and eii'orts are being made to extinguish it with CO2. The insulation consists of charcoal and pumice. The temperature in the freezing chamber is ueuig kept down. The vessel turned back at noon on Thursday when 360 miles from .Wellington. '''';.■• According to the latest report, it is believed the fire is not gaining. The damage is not expected to be extensive. ' ' (The City of Winchester was built at Newcastle for the >Jllerman Lines, Ltd., in 11/17. She has a tonnage- of 7981, with ,a cargo capacity of 11,250 tons. She was built 'uuring the war/ and has- a cruiser stern, and was originally on the iLohdon-New-'York run. She was 'torpedoed iv April, iyiß, but reached port under hor 1 own steam, her repairs taking five, months. . She is at present under charter to the American and Australian Lino, and was on her maiden trip to New Zealand. She arrived at Lyttelton on October 3 with 1700 tons "of American cargo and a quantity of coui"for this port. Slur went to Duhedin to -continue her dis- 4 charge, and returned to Lyttelton and loaded 70,000 carcases of frozen meat, proceedlug to Waitar'a. to complete.)