HEROISM AT SEA

Evening Star, Issue 18318, 4 July 1923, Page 6

HEROISM AT SEA

FIRE OH THE HARTIN6TOH.

FIGHTING THE FLAMES,

Prats Association—By Telegraph—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Press Association.

BRISBANE, July 3.

(Received 1 July 3, at 11.20 p.m.)

Details of the fire, on the Harrington show that it commenced on the morning of June 27 in the bottom layers of the coal in the bunkers. The bold was soon a raging inferno of smoko and fumes. The captain, officers, and chief engineer volunteered to go below to fight the flames, and a human relay system was started, the men being lowered, below for ten-minute spells, at tho end of which time they were hauled up, partially unconscious, and restored by buckets of cold water being thrown over them. On one occasion the captain had 1 a narrow escape from death, being overcome in the hold', and- the chief officer had to go down to rescue him. It was fully half an hour before the captain recovered consciousness. Later ho insisted upon returning to the hold in his turn. The morale of the crew throughout was excellent. All danger of tho vessel’s destruction has now passed'. Although no definite estimate of tho extent of the damage is available, there will apparently bo little material loss.

A JETTISONED CATTLE CARGO. The Harrington arrived in the Thames on February 8 last after a peculiarly unfortunate voyage. She loft Buenos Ayres on December 29 and Montevideo on January 1 for Antwerp and) London, having taken on board at Montevideo 250 head! of cat tier and 1,000 sheep. Rough, weather was encountered, and on January 5 an epidemic broke out among the animals, necessitating the following jetrisonings : January 5,2 bullocks and 1 sheep; January 6, 7 bullocks; January 8, 8 bullocks; January 9, 11 bullocks and 1 sheep ; January 10, 8 bullocks and; 5 sheep; January 11, 10 bullocks; January 12, 6 bullocks and 5 sheep; January 13, 6 bullocks and 1 sheep; January 15, 78 bullocks and 123 sheep ; January 16, 90 bullocks and l 100 sheep; January 17, 22 bullocks and 90 sheep; January 18, 676 sheep. When tho whole of tho live stock had been jettisoned it was considered necessary to throw overboard 1 also the cattle installations, an operation which was completed on January 20. Tho decks were then cleaned l with carbolic acid. Tire weather during this period continued rough, and tho vessel rolled, considerably and 1 shipped water. On February 5, on the advice of the veterinary surgeon, it was decided to jettison all tlio cattle fodder. The Hartington arrived l at Flushing two days later, and while at that port lost her port anchor and thirty fathoms of chain.