STEAMER BENALLA ON FIRE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15337, 22 July 1915, Page 6

STEAMER BENALLA ON FIRE.

EIGHT HUNDRED PASSEXG£HS • *' OX BOARD. ' " ;» OTAKI HASTENING TO ASSIST, y {Bj Cable—Press Association.— Co&mftA-) '.', (Received July 21st. 0.2-j p.m.) DURBAN, July 21. -•-. The P. and 0. steamer Ilenalla, with --•*. eight hundred emigrants on hoard, i}' • - on fire eight hundred miles east of Dur- , • ban. ' Tho New Zealand Shipping Company's. ' steamer Otuki is ■'hastening , to her as- •". sist&nce. Tho Benalla is bound to Australia. - Her cargo is on fire in No. 1 hold. Tho Otaki was 150.miles away when she picked up tho wireless call for help. Tb° JUcnalla is steaming t 0 meet the Otaki. - ■ The Benalla is a large twin-screw steamer of 11,118 tons grosA, and (US* tons net register, built in 1013 by Messrs C'aird and Co.. Ltd.. at Greeuock for the P. ami O. Steam Navigation Co.. Ltd- .She i» employed in fjjo - service between London au<l Australia.. -- 0 via Capetown and Durban. SnorUjf ~ after the loss of the Waratah. wnicn . . disappeared between Durban aud , 1 town the remaining ships and tne busiiipss of her owners. \V\ Lund and BOB* •■ (Bluo Anchor Line) were purchased Wf -- , tho P. ami 0. Company, tho st«amj» - < taken OVI-.1- iK'ini: tiu> t'ommonwcaiw*,. • Gwlons. Wilcannia. a»d WakooL JIW ~ P and 0. Company then placed oracu for five now vessels. BaHarat. B? 1 ,t *]S' - licnalla, llcrrima. and B-orda all J*** foot steamers, built by Messrs Cairdaoe Co-, Ltd., tho hist-r.anied hems dtfliyer<vj at the end ot 1013. The reorganise* service, which has become very popular. is known as tho P. and O. Branch Line. The Benalla. which is commanded »J • Captain Syrnonds, formerly m the service of Lund's Hl.u- Anchor Lino, v i oue # of tho two additional htoamrrs whicn, it was announced yesterday, have w* engageU by tne New Z-ajaud bfc-P- . owners' Oversea Committee to low* I frown moat at New Zealand P orts , ! relievo, the congestion in the htorrs. mc ■ i Benalla, which has a capacity tor . : 65,000 freight carcaws. was ♦•*I MCt i arrive in New Zealand waters at the . i end of August or the beginning ot »er | tembcr from Australia, i The Otaki, which is on her war i«VP. - ! En-land to New Zealand, and Trhic* f : has gone, to the a^ istan(C ot th ° 'alia, is a largo eartfo steamer of '*T- - ; tons register, ownwl by the >cv <«»_ ..... land'Shippinu Company. Ltd.. andco ro . . manded by Captain L. G. Silba- # ' ; 1