FIRE ABOARD ARAHURA

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 151, 23 December 1940, Page 9

FIRE ABOARD ARAHURA

MAILS DAMAGED

CAUSE MOT ASCERTAINED

Seven out of fourteen bags of mails from Nelson for Wellington, Christchurch, and Auckland were seriously damaged by fire in the hold of the Arahura, which left Nelson on Saturday evening for Wellington. Four of these contained parcels, two letters, and one newspapers and packets. The parcels were chiefly Christmas gifts, and included hams, smokers' supplies for soldiers, and hampers.

Bags for Wellington seriously damaged were one of letters and one of parcels from Nelson, one of newspapers and packets from Motueka, one of parcels from Takaka, one of parcels from Richmond. The other two were bags of parcels from Nelson for Christchurch and Auckland.

The majority of the letters have been forwarded to their addresses, states the Post Office, but difficulty is being experienced in ascertaining the addresses of two bags of parcels. In some cases the addresses have been burned off.

As soon as the fire was extinguished, the heap of mails was covered with a tarpaulin, and on the arrival of the ship in Wellington postal employees tackled the heap of Christmas cheer and greetings with the greatest care so as to preserve what was left of the superscriptions.

The mails were lowered into the hold at Nelson at 7.30 p.m. on the two last slings put aboard, under the supervision of the chief officer of the Arahura. Shortly after 8 p.m. smoke was seen issuing from the mailbags and they were immediately hoisted on deck arid the fire extinguished. Nothing else in the hold was set alight. The opinion is expressed by those who have investigated the outbreak that it was not due to sabotage. The customary supervision was exercised in the stowage and the fire does not seem to have been the result of any lack of care aboard. It appears to have started immediately upon or in the mails themselves, and it is suggested that a box of matches included in a parcel—against the postal regulationsmay have been responsible.

The penalty for packing phosphorus matches, calcium carbide, or any other dangerous material such as liquid or explosives in mails is severe. It may be as much as two years' hard labour, or a fine not exceeding £50.