FIRE ON A STEAMER

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 272, 19 November 1919, Page 5

FIRE ON A STEAMER

OUTBREAK AMONGST FLAX

CARGO.

NO STRUCTURAL jDAMAGB

DONE

CPbbss Association.7

TIMARUu.iMov.. 19. At a quarter past miaaigliti ;a' .fire was discovered on the harbor :side ;of No. 3 hold of the stfeamer Westnmoreland, lying at No., 3 witanf .and frozen meat for Home. The vessel arrived here on Tkureday &o ,load .meat for Home, arid .was .due :to sail to-day. She touched ground ,«n th© voyage from Bluff to.Dunedin in May ; last; and until last week was Port Chalmers undergoing ejctensive repairs. The /ship was loaded iriili /50'QOO carcases of meat here, her, loading being about completed when fih& ;oiitfereak was discovered. Dense clouds af< sraoke soon appeared, and it found, that the fire was amongst the fl&x loaded at Port Chalmers. The shjp's .engines soon got to work, and it vwas; found necessary to eaH the borough brigade. Quickly €w© leads were c . playing on the flames, ?one though "a b hole cut in : the deck ?>la^es. and*-%he other through a xlaor ea3»ng tto vthe hold, ' ajttd a eon- ; tinuous ■ stream of water was ikept j goiiag .till ftbout seven o'clock; when ;tho .-outbreak was suppressed, altuOTgh. the flax is stilP smouldering, ijhe brigade is standing Tsy an the me&ntinie in case of a ftur&her outbreak.

; The<6ar.gorof flax will be discharged as socra • as.-possible, and also a ■consignment of -wool in an adjoining hold, wiid'eh will require to "be esamiß^H. The, outbreak will cause the steaiiter to be detained here till Saturday 'ftr' Monday. As far as - can'be ascertained th© steamer 'has sustained no serious structurall (Sapjnage, and in .the meantime the tnteat loading operations are being continued, and the' voyage is not likely jto''he seriously interrupted.