LINER BADLY DAMAGED.

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 131, 6 June 1925, Page 24

LINER BADLY DAMAGED.

Damage roughly assessed at £50.000 was done to. the Canadian Pacific liner Moiitlaurier by a five which broke out m the forepart of the vessel while she. was in dry-dock at Home. About 150 ft ol the ship, comprising third-class accommodation, was burnt out, and considerable structural damage occurred. When tho last mail left the" cause of the fire had not been ascertained, and it was considered (hat there would probably be some difficulty in ascertaining it. 'The casualty, slates an English shipping journal, bears some resemblance to tho case of the Ruapehu, which was also burned out in the forward end when under repair. Tn that case there was considerable conflict of evidence as to the origin of the fire. The result of the action in tho Court of Appeal has been (o place the responsibility on the ship lepairers. In their case there is" no limitation of liability. If, Ihei-pforp. the c-aso of the Montlaurier is parallel with that of the Rnapehu, a great deal will depend on obtaining-evidence of the origin of the I fire. 'I'here is accordingly some doubt ! in underwriting circles on'whom the loss '• will fall. The'Montlaurier. formerly tho ! ex-German liner Prinz Fredrich Wilhelm. I has met with quite a diapior of aci-i- ! dents since she sailed from the Mersey I on 21st February for Canada. When ! off Queenstown she developed a rudder ! defect, and put back to Queenstown, and when entering the harbour, she ran "•- aground and her passengers had to be transferred to another C.P.R. liner. On being brought back to the Mersey sho was berthed in Messrs, Cnsmnc'l Laird's < yard for repairs on 6th March, ami these had been completed" and I lie ship was hoint; pot ready fur uiidneking when the fire broke out- It look the fire lirigados of Birkenhcad, Wallasey. and Liverpool eight hours to extinguish the .'lames.