STEAMER ON FIRE

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 183, 29 April 1924, Page 6

STEAMER ON FIRE

TERRIFIC EXPLOSION IN PORT ADELAIDE CITY OF SINGAPORE’S BACK BROKEN THREE MEN KILLED; TWELVE INJURED Bt Telegraph—Press Association. Copyright. Adelaide, April 28. The steamer City of Singapore, with 700 tons of undischarged petrol and other oils from New York, caught fire at 8 o’clock on Saturday nigat, wit.i the result that three firemen were killed and twelve other persons were injured. The names of the dead are: James Hickey, aged 22; George James Anderson, aged 23; and Albert Gieen1U The mister of the ship said that the When he was informed of tne post tion he <X«d the hold to be flooded, and strenuous efforts were made by toe officers and crew to stifle the "Tif ii“ > lib S’d « e tof «»;■ a Xi™” e'ti. ot bonrin. .» XSk is- Ki —Press Assn. names of the injured fireman relates his experience (Rec. April 28, 10.5 p.m ) Adelaide, April to. “‘tiled’/Si, firemen, Hickey and Andeism , - engulfed in tho wreckage. Latoi tne 3ins of one of .were found but as it consisted of 0111 5 re s not a few charred bones identity " established. The name of tho other fireman who died from injuries lias not so far been ascertained. The latest accounts give four killed or missing and thirteen injured. Ihe names of the latter arey-Charles McKay, John Walsh, Patrick Ryan, Maitin Moore, F- Cornish Laurence Anthon v, Henry Sayers, Jack Key, pit liam' Ryan, George Stuart Easton, Mamud Oayang, Thomas Booth, and William Bentwell. . The force of the explosion is shoivn by a piece of iron being hurled seventy yards, and a man on the opposite side ‘of the river was struck by a piece of flying steel and slightly injured. Hie disaster was one of the worst experienced on the Australian waterfront, and has paralysed the fire fighting force. , . , The crew of the vessel comprised seventeen Europeans, thirteen Malays, and thirty-seven Lascars. When the Are was discovered the master ordered all the native crew out and told the fifth engineer to open the valves, flood the hold, and cut off all steam. The explosion which wrecked the ship is believed to have been caused by coal gas. One fireman stated that he thougl ,J they had the outbreak in hand, as it looked all black below, when suddenly a terrific explosion occurred, and he was hurled from the ship’s deck to the wharf, debris falling around him. He landed on his helmet, which was bad' dented. He was not injured, went on board, where flames were leaping fifty feet in the air, and with the assistance of other men rescued several injured firemen who had been hosing into the hold. This was the experience of many other fire fighters.—Press Assn. VESSEL STILL BURNING DEATH OF ANOTHER FIREMAN (Rec. April 28, 8.5 p.m.) Adelaide, April 28. The steamer City of Singapore is stih burning, null is likely to do so for several days. Another fireman has succumbed to his injuries.—Press Assn.