FIRE AT SEA

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3496, 4 November 1926, Page 14

FIRE AT SEA

, . OUTBREAK OF JANUS A SUCCESSFUL FIGHT LASCAR CREW’S EFFORTS SYDNEY, October 22. Officers of the British India Bine steamer Janus told a brilliant story of | a successful fight against fire in the ; ship's hold during her voyage across Lhe Australian Bight when the vessel ' arrived at Adelaide at the end of last, week. The Janus was steaming in the: teeth of a hurricane early one morn- j ing laden with kapok and corntAcks, I when a fire was discovered in No. 3 ! hold. The outbreak'was attributed! to spontaneous combustion, and 100! tons of burning cargo had to be jettisoned. When the lire was first located, many bales of kapok were blazing furiously. It was at first feared that the whole of the vessel would bo enveloped, but the lascar crow, directed by the officers, succeeded in stemming the flames. The alarm was given by Lascar saloon boys on the shelter dock -af(, who wore awakened by the smoke and fumes, and they lost no time in calling the officers. A hurricane was raging from the northwest, and to give the minimum draught to prevent the fanning of the flames, the vessel’s stern had to be kept to the wind. Confused seas added to the trouble of the fire fighters. Waves repeatedly smashed over the Janus, and the construction of the vessel made firerighting hazardous. Built for the carriage of horses, her shelter deck has no bulkheads. For a time it was feared that the flames would sweep the | whole length of the deck. In the | smoke-filled engine room the engineers and lascar stokers worked with every ounce of effort to keep up a good head of steam to enable full

pressure to be given to the six linos of hose directed on the fire. Remarkable endurance was shown by those who had to work in smoke fumes, coal dust, and intense heat. It was several houses before there was any sign of the Are having been checked, and several times the danger of the flames spreading along the whole length of deck became exceptionally grave. Hundreds of tons of water were poured into the hold, and cabins were flooded to a depth of 4J feet. The fire was kept to port, causing the steel plates to buckle on the decks, and the pitch began to boil, while planks laid on the steel deck began to smoulder. Holes were drived through this dock to permit water to be poured through into the hold. The water rose to sft, ami found its way into the lower, holds, which were also laden with jute goods. Through a door in the side of the ship usually used for loading horses, 100 tons of burning cargo was I jettisoned.

A couple of near-by steamers hastened to the aid of the Janus when the latter sent out wireless signal;, but when they arrived on the scene, the tire had been controlled. The officers of the Janus praised the, efforts of the lasear members of the crew. They said there was no sign of panic among them. No one was injured during the fire fighting, though many of the men wore severely blistered, and others suffered from eye trouble caused by the smoke.