SHIP DESTROYED

Grey River Argus, 30 June 1942, Page 6

SHIP DESTROYED

fire at Australian port ,; . SYDNEY; Jurte. 29.. After. 70 firemen had fought des? - perately. for seven hours to ■ put, out a .fire on a ship at an Australian port, the- vessel’s sear-cocks were opened, and the ship sank, beside the .wharf. The plates ,of the ship were white hot when she sank, but the firemen.risked ytfieir. liveSj to. remove much Inflammable material. Fuel oil . Was ablaze; .and there Were occasional dufi. detonations from minor explosions; . At one stage the whole .wharf was, threatened, but, the firemen preyerited the spread of. the flames by psing foam extinguishers. A fire float assisted in the, battle with flames, but .was eventually forced to retire because of the intense;, he?t. and the danger of flames reaching the float. One thousand gallons of water pumped into -the holds., had little effect on the fire, ahd it became obvious that the only way to prevent. the...complet£ .destruction of the vessel Was tb sifik her. Sailors went below;, and, opened the seacocks, rind tfie vessel settled quickly The masts and the, . fuririel snapped off., when she listed and struck the Whai-f a§ she sank- It ,1S believ.ed that the sfiip and irtuefl. <sf her Valuable cargo can. be salvaged.