THE GOTHIC ON FIRE.

Evening Star, Issue 12866, 16 July 1906, Page 1

THE GOTHIC ON FIRE.

FIERCE FIGHT WITH THE FLAMES. THE VESSEL BEACHED. [FeOU OCB SpKCIAL COEEES?O?TDICn. 1 LONDON, June 9. The underwriters must surely be getting nervous about wool cargoes. First the Perthshire, then the Waimate, and now the Gothic have caught fire on the voyage to London—three outbreaks in quick succession. Great excitement prevailed at Plymouth on Thursday when the Gothic put into port on fine, and beached in the soft tnud inside the breakwater. Dense volumes of smoke poured from the burning vessel when the hatches were opened, and it was only after a desperate battle that the fire was at last subdued. There were no casualties, and the meat cargo, so far as is known at present, was not damaged. The passengers showed no alarm, and their confidence in the captain and officers of the Gothic is well shown by tue fact that although all were advised to disembark at Plymouth, only about half of them went ashore on the tender. After these had gone the hatchways wet® lifted, when the fire was found to bo so serious that Captain Bartlett ordered the rest of the passengers ashore, and sent them on to London by special train. The baggage hold did not catch fire, and so far as is known none of the passengers lost any of thoir effects. Those I have spoken to praise very highly the coolness and abilitv displayed by Captain Bartlett and bis officers crisis. This was Captain Bartlett’s first voyage in command of the Gothic. The vessel left Wellington on April 26, and subsequently called at Monte Video, Rio de Janeiro, and Tenenne, taking on a large quantity of fruit at the last-nam d gort, and leaving for Plymouth on June 2. he had on board 215 passengers—llß cabin and 97 steerage—9B bags mid 10 parcels of mails from New Zealand, and a full general cargo, made up as follows: 22,655 carcasses of mutton, 43,031 carcasses of lamb, 15,287 cases of butter, 5,430 cases of cheese, 1,446 bales of wool, 1,000 sheepskins. 1,364 bales of flax, 2,258 boxes of potatoes, 1,509 crates of bananas, 576 casks of tallow, 543 bales of hemp, and 1,000 bags of : bran. This valuable cargo was stored in the holds of tbs ship, - whilst the crates-of-fruit intended for Plymouth were conveniently stacked on deck.' Ti» Gothic

had experienced exceptionally fine weather throughout her long voyage. On Sunday last a smell of fire was noticed, u*nd by Monday there was munistakeablo evidence that the cargo in No. 4 hold was seriously on fire. ’ Whilst we were playing quoits on deck, just before dinner, said one of the passengers, “ sevo ral of the officers inspected the hold. Then, when wo had had dinner and returned to our game, we saw that a screen had been erected in such a way as to cut off our view of the after part of the' ship, f here was little smoke to be seen, but the smell was pungent. I understood that several bales of wool bad become ignited owing to spontaneous combustion. We saw several charred bales thrown smoking into the sea, but after tho steam had been sent into the hold for some three hours, and all the wool sodden, wd were all satisfied that the fire was out.” ■ —A Second Outbreak.—

! Everything then went well until Wednesday evening last, when another smell of fire, was noticed in the vicinity of the No. 5 hold. At.firsk Captain Bartlett and his officers thought the smell might be accounted for by the presence of the already scorched bales of wool on deck, but next morning smoko was seen pouring from the ventilating holes. The ship was then bearing down on Plymouth, and in a few hours would reach the port, so Captain Bartlett decided not to raise the. batches until he reached the Sound, and as many passengers had been got ashore as were willing to land. The ship’s purser posted the following notice in the entrance to the saloon for the benefit of the passengers :• Owing to a further outbreak of fire amongst the-wool, it is advisable for all passengers to disembark at Plymouth, as the steamier may experience considerable delay. There was not the slightest alarm among the passengers; the ladies were not even anxious to land at Plymouth; indeed, only 101 out of the 215 passengers landed. Whilst the tender was making for tlie shore dense volumes of smoke showed that Captain Bartlett had ordered the hatchways of the hold to be raised. In a few minutes after this the signal flag was run up on the ship, asking for —Help from the Dockyard.— In a few, minutes the smoko cleared away, denoting that the tiro was so sever© that the hatches had to be battened down again. Captain Bartlett laid, it transpired, ordered the batches to be battened down until the remainder of the passengers had been got ashore on account of tlie density anp pungency of the smoke. Directly after they had left the snip the hatches were reopened, and the smoke once mote belched forth, completely enveloping the Government tugs, which had by this time got alongside. Hi© cocks were at once opened, and with eidr hoses set going from the tugs and eight jets oi 6team being turned into the hold the uangerous and exciting work commenced. Ibe heat was terrific when the hatchways were opened up. whilst the stiffing fumes rising from the burning wool and tiax conned serious obstacles in. the way of the workers. Everyone, from the captain downwards, took bis turn at getting out the undamaged bales, and not a few either tainted or became half-choked and exhausted or were partially blinded by the thick, acrid smoke. At the very bottom of the hold was stored tallow in large quantities (576 casks); and the chief fear was that tii© flames would reach the tallow. All the first class passengers’ 'uggage, which was stored in proximity to the No. 5 hold, was hauled up and piled on deck. With the shifting of the heavy cargo and luggage, and the huge volume of water tW. was being poured into her, the ship reeled over to port, and had a dangerous list. By this time the news of the fire had spread in the town, and a large crowd of people made for the Hoe, and these, with their glasses, gazed on an unusual scene. The Gothic had anchored just under the mainland, near Jennycliffe Bay. —The Vessel Beached.— It was then nearly three o’clock, and still from the volumes of yellow smoke it was apparent that no progress had been made in extinguishing the. outbreak Every effort on tlie part of thoso in the ship seemed to prove futile, and about half-past three Captain Bartlett deemed it advisable to have bis ship beached. Several steam tags were requisitioned, and the liner was “ beached ” on the thick mud of the shallows of tlie Oattewater, just under Batten Castle. Whilst sb© was being towed the demo volumes of smoke were seen to be drifting right along the ship in its course One could not see the bridge nor even the hug© funnel of the liner. The passage of the liner into the Cattewater provided a unique sight for the interested sightseers who thronged the Hoe and all points of vantage As soon as the vessel had beached ropes were let out from the stem and stem, and these were fastened to “two Government tugs, and both were set to pull against the ship in order to stcadv her, although she had already cast her anchors for© and aft This precaution was necessary on account, of it being high, tide and the possibility of the liner swerving. At low' water it was hoped she would settle' i on the mud and remain fast, but fears were I entertained that with her .heavy list to port 1 she would at low tide topple over. Durum the whole of this-, time, eight bcees were .poririhgwater into the hold, and these were' •assisted,-by., the, ship's own fire appliances and her three steam valves, which were

sending powerful jets into the burning compartment —Saloon on Fire.— Shortly it became known that the fire had spread to the saloon. Several officers, w nose faces were blackened and eves were bloodshot after their work m tho dense smoke, rushed down the allevwavs. They discovered that a huge hole had ‘been burnt through the floor of the forward part of the saloon, and the wood and carpet were smouldering. Hoses that could be spared v ere brought to bear on the burning furniture arid bulkheads, whilst hand grenades were Hung in all directions in the vicinity of tlie faro, which had obtained a good hold, several cf the crow were ordered to salve as much of the valuable furniture as they could, and this was brought up on deckIne saloon is situate next to the burnin? hold, only a thick bulkhead separ .«,n- the two compartments. The forward bulkhead of tho slaoon is exactly under the mainmast, and the room extends right to tho base of the mizzenmast. After frantic and plucky efforts on the part of the brave men the fire was extinguished, and volumes mt water were then concentrated on the bulkhead itself. The hmidromely-furnislied room has ben sadly damaged by both fire and water. During this tune men on deck were fighting the fire in the hold. It is remarkable, indeed, that no accident happened, to say nothing of loss of life. In the dense black smoke the men were continually stumbling against each other, whilst nut a few got an impromptu hath when the, hose was shifted from one position to another. It 'was impossible (or anyone to walk on the upper decks when the wind blew m that direction. With the heat inside and the cold water outside, several plates on the starboard side of the liner amidships buckled, whilst othere showed signs of starting. The cargo of fruit was disembarked in barges and taken out of tho area of the smoke, whilst the frozen meat and other susceptible commodities were shielded by three or four layers of tarpaulins over the respective hatches. Throughout the evening and night the hold was still being flooded, And' the three Government tugs were standing by. At low tide, just about midnight, the Gothic settled down safely on the mud, and was in an upright position practically. An hour later only a slight trace of smoke was to bo seen issuing from tho hold, and it was decided to commence pumping the water out oi the hold. The fire had been overcome. On inquhy at tho Shaw-SaviU office this morning, I was informed that the Gothic left Plymouth at four o’clock under her own steam. She is expected to reach the Royal Albert Docks to-morrow, when the discharge of Iter cargo will be immediately commenced. There is every reason to believe that the damage caused by the fire and water is confined to the two holds affected, and that the butter and other dairy produce will be landed in a perfect condition.