FIRE ON SHIP

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 May 1936, Page 5

FIRE ON SHIP

TASMANIAN STEAMER DAMAGED

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. COPYRIGHT.]

(Recd. May 11, 8 If . MELBOURNE, May 10Damage estimated at £BOOO and £lO,OOO was caused to the Tasmanian passenger steamer Taioona, 4286 tons, at her river berth, at 11 o’clock this morning. The fire, the cause of. which is un known, began on a staircase between A and B decks, near the smoking rom, and spread with amazing rapidity through A deck, destioying y able panelling, fittings and liirmt u c in many rooms, smashing all Llie windows and portholes on A The ship had been undergoing <■ extensive overhaul at Sydney, whence she only returned on Saturday, _in readiness to resume the Tasmanian service on Monday. The fire, in the early stages, seemed likely to threaten the destruction ot the ship. Fortunately, the full crew was aboard, and the lire was promptly attacked with fire extinguishers. 'The City Brigade was called, and the flames were prevented from reaching below B deck. . Two stewards, working extinguisners on B deck, had an alarming experience, when blown through an open door in the side of the ship by discharge of compressed' smoke and hot air from a confined space below. The force of the explosion threw them from the ship to the wharf. One theory of the cause of the fire is the fusing of electrical wiring. The Taroona is a new vessel recently built for the Tasmanian service, and is owneq by the Tasmanian Steamship Limited, the joint agents being the Union Company and Huddart Parker. Mr Gray, manager of the Union Company, said he did not think any structural damage was done.