AUSTRALIAN SHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 115, 16 May 1936, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN SHIPS

SPECIAL FIRE BRIGADES

INQUIRY INTO TAROONA DISASTER

,- (Received May 16, 10.30 a.m.) ■■;. ' " SYDNEY, This Day. ..Following the disastrous fire on the steamer Taroona at Melbourne on May 10^ fire brigades are being organised for every passenger vessel on the Australian -.coast. ; Thisiannouricement was made by the Director of ■ Navigation, Captain J. K. Davis; who added that a searching investigation would be made into the cause of the Tarbona fire. He said that an electric short circuit was not responsible for the outbreak, because the ship's power was turned off at the time. ■■ • : \ Damage estimated at between £8000 and £10,000 was caused in the Tasmanian passenger steamer Taroona (4286 tons) at her river berth at Melbourne. The fire began in a staircase between A and B decks, near the smok-ing-room, and spread with amazing rapidity through A deck, destroying valuable panelling, fittings, and furniture in many rooms, and smashing all windows and portholes oh A deck. The crew extinguished the fire "with 'fire extinguishers. ...