THE MEDORA FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 86, 13 April 1899, Page 9

THE MEDORA FIRE.

MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY.

A magisterial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fire on the auxiliary schooner Medora on January 11 was held to-day before Mr H. W. Brabant, S.M., Captain Adamson, nautical assessor, .and Mr John Fawcus, engineer assessor. The inquiry was held on the application of »Mr A. Rose, Collector of Customs, the application stating that on the 11th day of January the Medora was * damaged by fire to the extent of about £50, and the cargo to the ex-!. ■teirfi of abou,t £10 ait Queen-street wharf, and that the cause of the casualty was not satisfactorily accounted for.

Mr Rose conducted the inquiry. He stated that the question was not one of seamanship. A fire had occurred at, night on board the oil engine schooner Medora, and at the preliminary inquiry the evidence obtained was of so unsatisfactory a nature that no conclusion could be arrived at-. : ■■ . ' '■ -\ ■ ' '

H. G. Subritzky, master of the vessel, deposed that on the nightf ot the fire the vessel lay beside the. Queenstreet wharf, having started to load. ' cargo for the north. At ( 10-30 p,m. when witness retired every|faiag>4vas safe, but at about 1.30 nexilmormng .he was aroused : by;'"-'th'e.'Vieo6Bpr.r>wh<^«' slept ■• over the engine room; The cook was awakened by the heat of the fire, and found the cabin full of smoke. He woke the crew, and thel outbreak was fblind to be in the engine room. The hose was got ready, and water was played on -the The brigade was sent for and the fire was soon put out. After an examination of the engine room he cam© to the conclusion that the fire broke out in an unoccupied bunk in the engine room. The engineer intended sleeping in this bunk, bu.t: being unwell, and not liking the smell of tha oil, he slept in the cabin. Witness held the opinion that the fire started in the bunk because it had obtained ■ the strongest hold there. The vessel ; was not then required to carry;a certificated engineer. He did not go in- , to the engine room immediately after the fire because the smoke and steam, were suffocating. The oil tank was sound, and was filled with benzine from the deck. At the time of the - , fire the top of the tank was red hot, and he considered that the oil must have been boiling inside it; H. J. Subritzky, mate of the vessel, / stated that he went down into the j engine room with the intention of/ sleeping there, but finding the, smelf of the oil and the bilgewater too unfpleasant he went into the cabin. He lie the lamp in the engine room, a fid after extinguishing the match dropped it on the floor. Witness stated that the oil rags •arid cotton waste Used in cleaning, the engine Were thrown overboard. On this trip there was ho cotton tvaste ♦ on the vessel. When he left the engine room all was safe. He enltered the engine-room after the fire and Ivas of the opinion, that the fire arose at the foot of his bunk. Matches 'were w not left in the engine-room. It" was possible that rats had carried oiJ; rags to their nests. The floor of the engine-room was not saturated with \ oil. He was in the room for 15 minutes after he struck the match," and was quite sure that the outbreak was not caused by the match. Arfter the . fire it was seen that the heat had melted the solder and the oil was leaking. He had no theory afj to the origin of the fire. The benzine was not of an explosive nature. . (Proceeding.)