THIS S.S. KANIERI ON FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 3, 4 January 1896, Page 5

THIS S.S. KANIERI ON FIRE.

SEKIOUS DAMAGE SUSTAINED.

At 2 o'clock this morning the whistle of tho Kanieri, lying at Onehuaga Wharf, sounded an alarm, followed,by tho iiroball. A number of residents proceeded to the wharf, when it was found that riro had broken out somewhere between the boilers and the coal-bunkars. When tho tire brigade arrived on tho scene, the flames were bnrsting through the deck. After gome little trouble tho hose was attached to the plugs, and aboub 3.30 v.m. the lire was under control. The exact 3pob whano the fire originated is ab presenb unknown, but it was near the boilers. The steamer wa3 engaged till 5.30 p.m. yesterday coaling, after which hour there wa3 no work going on. There were several of the men on board ab the time, and they worked indefatigably to extinguish the flams'. The damage done 13 considerable, all the woodwork about the engine room being burned and part of the machinery. The Kanieri belongs to the Northern Steamship Company, and was employed in the West Coast trade. She wa3 built ab Dumbarton in 18S6, and is of the following dimensions : — Length, 105fb: breadth, 211 ft; depth, 3.7 ft; tonnage, 203. All the property of the men on board wac destroyed—clotnes, bedding, etc. The captain also lost what property he had on board. Mr Ranaon, manager of the Northern Company, informs us this afternoon that an examination of the steamer vtas made this afternoon ab Onohunga, and that step1* aro being taken at onco to repair the damage caused by the fire. Ib ia expected that tho steamer will be ready to take up her running again in about ten days. The damage amounts to £■200 or £500. Tho fire is believed to havo originated in the engines store-room, where oiTand other coflbnetables wcro stored. The engines were not damaged by tho fire which was cor.tined to tho midship section of tho steamer near tho coal-bunkers and did net reach the saloon.