THE FIRE ON THE TURAKINA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 5 October 1907, Page 3

THE FIRE ON THE TURAKINA

FIGHTING THE FLAMES. A SEVERE AND FUTILE TASK. WELLINGTON, Friday. This, afternoon several of the crew of the Turakina, with smoke helmets on, went, down to the crew's quarters adjacent to the hold where the fire originated. The smoke was not dense, but it was very pungent, and air had to be I pumped to the men« A lot of the personal effects of the crew were brought up, but nothiug apeared to be burned. Superintendent Hugo, of the Fire Brigade, made preparations- for dealing with the fire when the hatches were taken off. The Terawhiti, salvage tug of the Union Company, was put into commission, working her large eightinch pump. The punts were towed alongside the s:s. Turakina to receive the damaged cargo, and lorries were drawn up alongside the wharf for a similar purpose. The hatches were taken off at three o'clock, and they were charred, underneath, especially on the port side. Superintendent Hugo directed the extinguishing operations. Some bales of flax, singed all round, but not burned through, were got up, and they were stowed up to the combings. Several leads of hose were kept playing into the hold while the unloading was going on. A- fire broke out on the Turakina on September 27th, 1905, while she was lying alongside the Glasgow wharf at Wellington. The outbreak then was extinguished by the chemical engine. The cargo at that time consisted of •noi flax, tow, and other New Zealand produce intended for London. On dising the cargo it was found that the fire originated in some flax and wool shipped at the Bluff. About 90 bales of wool and flax were damaged. On that occasion the Collector of Customs found "that the wool and flax were on fire in No. 4 hold, 'tween decks. As to tha cause, I cannot give an opinion, unless to spontaneous combustion of the flax or wool." "The figures aro not in New Zealand, even the head . office does not know them," was the answer given to a question nut to-day at the New Zealand Shipping Company's offices regarding the insurances on the hull of the Turakina. The steamer is covered, but the amount is not available yet. Explicit information concerning the insurances on the cargo in No. 1 hold was not procurable this afternoon. Latest. At midnight huge volumes of smoke and steam were issuing from the vessel. The attempts to subdue the outbreak of fire are being continued with unabated vigour. About nine hundred tons of water an hour are being pumped into the Turakina. Evidently there is a big body of fire in the hold.