Gothic Repairs Might Cost Up To $500,000

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31753, 9 August 1968, Page 20

Gothic Repairs Might Cost Up To $500,000

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 8. A rough estimate of the cost of damage to the Shaw Savill vessel Gothic was between $350,000 and $500,000, the company’s New Zealand manager (Mr M. Smith) said today. He said it was too early to say if the 20-year-old ship would be scrapped.

The company’s marine superintendent in London, Captain H. M. Rome, was on his way to Wellington to inspect the ship.

Mr Smith said the precise cause of the fire which severely damaged the Gothic on passage last week had not been determined—“if it ever is.”

The master of the ship, Captain B. Agnew, said it would be “some months” before the ship would go to sea again. In view of the ship’s age its future “must be questionable,” he said on the question of scrapping. The preliminary inquiry into the fire and loss of life aboard the Gothic has begun, the Minister of Marine (Mr Scott) said today.

When the inquiry is completed the Superintendent of Mercantile Marine in Wellington will forward the inquiry’s report to the Minister and a copy will also be sent to the Board of Trade in London.

N.Z. Duty Mr Scott said: “On receipt of the report discussions will be held with the Board of Trade on whether the formal investigation will be conducted in New Zealand or the United Kingdom.” Under the terms of the Commonwealth Merchant Shipping Agreement, New Zealand is required to conduct the preliminary inquiry into the Gothic disaster.

Wellington waterside workers today began unloading the 600 to 700 bales of wool in the Gothic’s No. 3 hold, which is nearest the area damaged by fire. First indications were that the wool was not badly damaged. One or two of the first few bales bore scorch marks due to heat, not flames. Bales Moved A spokesman for Shaw Savill said some of the bales lower down the hold might be affected by water used to fight the fire. Wool is being taken to a store for examination. The rest of the cargo is being left on the ship at present. The spokesman said that the ship’s company were being outfitted; if men wanted to return to Britain their cases would receive sympathetic consideration. If the Gothic had to stay in port for several months

the company would reconsider the ship’s manning scale, and some of the crew might be repatriated. The head of the Wellington C. 1.8. (Superintendent B. B. Bevege) said today that police investigations were continuing. ‘Not Malicious’ “We have no evidence to believe the fire was caused by any malicious intent, or anything like that,” he said. A conference was held this morning between fire, Marine Department, D.S.I.R. and police officials, but the cause of the outbreak has not yet been established.