STEAMER AFIRE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIV, Issue XLIV, 28 April 1924, Page 7

STEAMER AFIRE

TERRIFIC EXPLOSION

THREE MEN KILLED

SHIP SERIOUSLY DAMAGED.

BY CABLE—PIIESS ASSOCIATION-COPYEIGHT Received April 28, 10.35 a.m.

ADELAIDE, .April 28. The steamer City of Singapore, with 700 tons of undischarged petrol ano other oils from New York, caught fire at 8 o'clock on Saturday night, as a result of which three firemen were killed and twelve other persons injured. The names of the dead »re: James Hickey, aged 22; George Jamas Anderson, 23, and Albert Gveenman. 29.

The ship's master said the fire broke out in No. 4 hold, containing 9000 eases of kerosene and 4000 eases of motor spirit. He had noi idea how the fire originated. When informed of the position, the captain ordered the hold to be flooded, 'l'he strenuous efforts of the officers and crew to stifle the flames failed, and all setmdrt as vveli as metropolitan fir© brigades were <

on tne scene. Huge steams of water we>re poured into the vessel in the hope of checking the outbreak before the fire reached the^more inflammable oils. An explosion was feared, but neither the firemen, officers, or crew flinched.. Shortly before 11 o'clock a. terrific explosion occurred, the timber and fittings of the ship being blown high into the air. Th© side of a shed twentyards away was blown in, and-the top of a cowl from a ventilator was thrown a distance of 400 yards. Heroic efforts were made by all hands to rescue the men entombed below, despite the frequent occurrences of minor explosions. Further aft, in No. 5 hold, a quantity of wheat was so thoroughly saturated with water that it prevented the flames spreading to 4000 cases of benzine in No. 6 hold. By Sunday afternoon No. 4 hold was completely burnt out, including the coal bunkers. The. ship's back was broken amidships, while aft she is resting on mud with her bows high in the air.—Aus.-N.Z. J Cable Assn.