THE WAIMATE FIRE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 12024, 10 December 1901, Page 4

THE WAIMATE FIRE.

THE INQUIET.

A magisterial inquiry into tfee Are on board the steamer Waimate ill Napier roadstead was held at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, before Mr A. Turnbull, S.M., and Captain Todd (of the Tyson line) and Captain Fletcher, of the barque Grasmere. Mr B. S. C. Bowen, Collector of Customs, conducted the inquiry on behalf of the Marine Department, and Mr Humphries appeared tor Captain Hamon and the New Zealand Shipping Company. Mr Bowen, in opening the proceedings, said the inquiry was held under section 240 of the Ships and Seamen’s Act, 1877, to find out it possible how the fire occurred j if proper means were taken to extinguish the fire, and if the necessary appliances were on board the ship for that purpose. These were the three main points on which evidence would be given.

Captain Hamon, master of the vessel, handed in the following statement i—At 830 p.m. smoke was seen issuing into the engine-room, apparently from No. 4 hold. All hands wore called and the hoses tigged. On opening No. 4, batch flames were seen to proceed from the orlop deck. Sockets were fired for assistance, and at 12.30 a.m. on the 4th the s.s. Ahnriri came alongside with a manual engine and the fire brigade. At 7.30 a.m. the s.s. Fairy came alongside with stevedores to assist. At 0.30 a.m. fire was discovered in No. 5 bold, hoses were directed there, and the fire got under. At 4 p.m., having made no progress in extinguishing the fire with water, it was decided to smother the hatches and blow steam and carbonic gas into the hold. At 3 a.m. on the 6tb the fire appeared to be gaining, but after a consultation it was decided to hold on in order to give the gas time to work, A steam engine from Napier had also been standing by and using her pumps. At 680 a.m. turned off steam and continued playing water into No. 4 bold. At 13.30 p.m, the Hastings engine arrived alongside, and, being nnable to locate the fire owing to the density of smoke, it was decided to flood the hold. At 6.10 am. on tbe 6th the bold was completely flooded and the fire got under, every effort having been made by the ship’s company. Examined by the Collector of Customs, Captain Hamon said they commenced to load the Waimate at Port Chalmers, and proceeded thence to Lyttelton, Wellington, and from there to Wanganui; 1600 bales of flax were shipped at Wellington, and 4000 carcases mntton, and 800 bales of wool at Wanganui. Most of the flax was stowed in No. 4 and 5 holds, and 260 bales in No. 1 hold, the latter not having been disturbed. He was aware that flax was a specially dangerous cargo, and so every precaution was taken when shipping. The flax was examined by himself and his officers. It was not tested in the bales; that had not been customary during his 25 years at saa. He thought the flax was in good condition. Tarpaulins were freely used to protect it. Tbe signals of distress were kept going on the Waimate until 9.30 p.m., and at II p.m. blew the steamer’s whistle. On Wednesday morning it was bis opinion that no impression bad been made on tbe fire, and to save the ship, after consultation with shipping masters and Lloyd’s surveyor, it was decided to flood the lower hold. The fire appliances on the ship were vary good, such as were customary on such vessels; the hose was a Sin one.

To Mr Humphries ; Had had similar experiences at sea before, when ho got the fire out by the aid of his own crew. Ho inspected the fire in the Waimate’s hold himself to see if it was possible to locate the seat of it.

William Henry Pitcher, chief engineer of the Waimate, deposed that water was pumped by means of a donkey engine. The pump was in first-class order. The Sin hose would give a flow of 100 gallons a minute, but only 60 per minute if two jets were going. There was sufficient hose to go to every part of the ship.

The Collector of Customs drew the

Court’s attention to section 2, sub-section 178, of the Act, which provided for the fire engine being connected with the engines of the ship. Witness to Mr Humphries: This engine was used to wash the decks with and as a

fire engine. Tho hose could bo connected with No. 1 or No. 5 hatch, as the case might be. To Captain Todd: Had been on several steamships, The fire appliances on the Waimate were very similar to others. To Mr Humphries; Would not like to say that the capacity of the ship’s pumps was_ as good as that of the Hastings engine, which had (our discharges, Tbe ship’s pumps worked splendidly. Captain Davidson, Lloyd’s surveyor, deposed he had had some experience in examining flax on board vessels. Had examined the flax which had been removed from the Waimate. It was very imperfectly dressed and dirty. He had not seen any flax shipped from Napier in the same condition as this flax was in. Tbe fact of the flax not being properly dressed wonld make it more dangerous and more liable to spontaneous combustion.

Samples of the flax, taken from different bales (some of it very green) were here produced as exhibits. John Francis Le Btocq, second officer, deposed that he was in the hold on Tuesday when they were working cargo. There was no smell of fire then, or anything to lead them to suppose that the ship was in danger. Knocked off working No. 4 hold between 3 and 4 o’clock, and the hatches were put on when they were done. These were taken off again when the fire was discovered. So far as they could see then the fire was on the upper deck. No one was smoking down there.

Eiohard Raymond, third officer, deposed that the engineer discovered the fire first and repotted it to the third officer, witness being informed of it soon after.

Henry Hill, carpenter on tho Waimate, deposed it was his dnty to sound the wells and look after the hose. The boatswain had charge of the fire hose. It was all in perfect order, and there was no delay or difficulty in getting the water turned on.

William Bennett, stevedore, deposed he was working on the Waimate on Tuesday last, and was down the hold, in charge of the men, Ha had no occasion to go near the flax in the main hold, and he had no reason to suppose there was danger. Heard none of the men say they smelt fire.

To Captain Todd; There was no chance of any sparks getting down the hold because of the tarpaulins all around

H. Kraeft, harbormaster, deposed that on Tuesday night, about 9.16, the watchman reported to him that signals of distress were being sent up from the Waimate. f n going out to see, could not see any more signals; stayed outside about half-an-hour and then went indoors again. When ho heard the Waimate’s whistle going, about 11 p.m., witness went off hurriedly. When he had got out in the bay Captain Fletcher told him there was a fire aboard, to go ashore and got assistance. Witness came right away, telephoned for Captain Tonkin, of the s.s. Ahutiri, and also for tbe Spit Fire Brigade.

To Captain East; Only heard of one rocket being seen, at 9,16. The reason be did not telephone to Captain Davidson, Lloyd’s surveyor, was that he was in such a hurry to summon the fire brigade. The second officer was here r; called. He stated that signals were sent up at D o'clock, and six rockets were sent up at intervals of one minute, but none afterwards, as he then went down to attend to the Are.

Tho Collector of Customs drow the Court’s attention to a section of the Act by which tho master of any vessel rendered himself liable to a penalty for making signals of distress improperly. This closed tbe evidence. Mr Bowen intimated that the Government Department had instructed one of its officers to go over the vessel and report on the fire and what appliances there were on board for coping with a fire. He had received the officer’s report by post, but had had no opportunity of seeing him.

Captain Hamon, recalled, said he hold a passenger certificate from the Board of 'trade, London.

The inquiry was then adjourned till 4 p.m. to enable the Collector of Customs to communicate with the Government officer.

On resuming, Arthur Calvert, Government Inspector of Machinery, was examined. Ho stated that he went on board the Waimate on Saturday afternoon and inspected the vessel’s pumps and her facilities for extinguishing a fire. He found them in good order. There was the ordinary pnmp fitted up on vessels of this class. There was a 2Sin discharge pipe capable of 100 to 150 gallons per minute. It was a self-contained pump, not connected with any other engine—a donkey pump. It was the only pump on board for that purpose; it was quite adequate for ordinary purposes, but inadequate for a firo the same as occurred on the Waimrte. It would be good enough to extinguish a fire if yon could get at it the moment it occurred, but would not be equal to put out a fire in tho centre of the cargo in the hold. To Mr Humphries: Comparing the fire appliances on the Waimate with other vessels, they wore of tho same kind generslly iu use.

11m Collector of Customs said ho had endeavored to ascertain the amount of iUbUtanco and the damage to the vessel