GIANT LINER BURNED

Evening Star, Issue 20167, 6 May 1929, Page 2

GIANT LINER BURNED

GERMAN 46,G00-TON SKIP ILL-LUCK OF THE EUROPA The great ocean steamer Europa, with which the Germans hoped to inaugurate i a now era for their shipping, became on March 26 not much better than a blackened shell m the mud off the lllolim and Voss shipyard at Hamburg. She was in the final stage of construction, when fire broke out on her. .Eirenien fought for hours to save her, but she was nearly burned out and sank. She was one of tiro vessels of 46.000 tons being built for the Atlantic service, and was to have made her first trip in August. About £'2,250.000 bad already been built into the vessel, and by far the greater portion of this perished. The Joss was covered by insurance, 60 per cent, of which was said to have been in England. The chief sufferers arc the 4,000 workmen who were rendered idle by the catastrophe. The lire was first noticed at half-past 3 in the morning in a forward portion of the vessel. 'Perhaps it had already been burning for some time, for only ten in on were at that hour scattered about over the vast area of the vessel’s various decks. Nothing definite seemed to be known of its origin, THEORIES AS TO THE CAUSE. Naturally the suspicion of arson arose. More than one instance of sabotage was said to have occurred tin ring the construction, and it was recalled by the Monarchist Press that some of the workmen hissed as tiie vessel left the ways last August. Some accounts mention the possibilities that a boiler in the heating room ran dry and burned out, and that a lighted cigarette was dropped on to the freshly-laid rubber of the companion stairs. The theory of simultaneous short circuits in seveial different compartments was also put lorfiard to explain the rapidity with which the flames spread. However, the fitting of panelling was in progress in that part of the ship, and enormous quantities of the necessary material seemed to have been lying about. Moreover. a good deal of the woodwork which had already been fitted was freshly varnished. It was soon realised that the yard fire brigade was unable to cope with the outbreak, and Hamburg was alarmed by the shrieking of the works’ sirens. Before long twenty jets were playing on the vessel from the quays, find as many from fire boats from the waterside. But all their efforts were without visible effect. Owing to the dense clouds of smoke carried aft by fch«Mv-ind it was impossible to approach the seat of the conflagration through

the ship itself. At one time firemen were lec down on the forward deck in iron buckets by means of a big construction crane. HANGER OP A CAPSIZE. By 9 o’clock the lire was burning furiously amidships. An hour later, in consequence of the immense quantities of water poured on board the vessel, she suddenly lifted haviiy, and threatened to capsize. Indeed, she is said to have been peeve ald from doing so only by the huge hawsers by which she was moored to the quay. The danger of a capsize caused a temporary suspension of Hie work ot the firemen. All those on board Mere hurriedly called ashore, and the extinguisher bouts sheered oft so as to got well clear of the burning liner. At midday, however, with the fall of the tide, the vessel settled down firmly on the bottom of the harbour, ami the lire boats were once more able to approach her. By that time three-quarters of the Europa was burning.

As a result of the disaster Hie .shares of the Norddotnscher Lloyd dropped on the Berlin Bourse Horn 118 to 115, though they subsequently steadied up somewhat. It seems to lie feared that if rim by herself the sister ship Bremen may prove unprofitable. The destruction of Hie Europa is likely to be reflected in rivalry between the Lloyd and the Ha mbnrg-A inerica Line. The refusal of the former company to include the two new 46,0()0-ton-ners in the proposed pooling arrangements led to n “state of war” between 1-1 am burg and Bremen. UNDERWRITERS’ LOSSES. The commitments of the British insurance markets in the Europa were, very heavy, for London shared with Hamburg the hulk of the insurances placed by the builders, amounting to about £2,000,000. The liabilities of the various companies and underwriting syndicates varied widely, but in many cases the amounts are comparable with those involved in the sinking of the Titanic, which inflicted the heaviest individual loss on the London market which lias so far been suffered. The ultimate loss will bo widely .spread. Although large linos were originally written, considerable reinsurances were in some instances effected, and they were being placed in the market as recently as. a few days before the lire. Some of these reinsurances were known to have been in respect of amounts originally written in Germany, while others wre placed by London companies ami underwritten. It is not uncommon when vessels have been long under construction for underwriters to effect reinsurances on account of the closing period and the trials, for they are thus able to assure themselves of a profit for the insurance covering the greater part of the term. Some underwriters do not regard building risks with favour, and did not consider that the premium in this instance, which represented about 12s Gd per £IOO for* twenty-one months, was particularly attractive. * ,<