FIRE ON BOARD SHIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8471, 23 January 1891, Page 5

FIRE ON BOARD SHIP.

OUTBREAK ON THE LEADING WIND. HER CARGO OF FLAX ON FIRE. INEFFECTUAL EFFORTS TO EXTINGUISH IT. PROPOSAL TO SCUTTLE THE VESSEL. Aboot twenty minutes to twelve last night the city firebella rang out an alarm, and inquiry proved the outbreak not to be amongst the wooden buildings of the city or suburbs, but aboard of the American vessel Leading Wind, now lying alongside No. 2 Jetty, Quay-street, where she had been for the past fortnight loading flux and g um for New York under charter to the NewZealand Shipping Company. The outbreak was first discovered about half-past eleven, when some of the crew found smoke rising from the forehold. The alarm was quickly given on board, and the bad news communicated outside by vehement ringing of the ship's bell. This was heard by CustoajH-officer Lockie, and Watchman Watts, on the Queen-street Wharf, and these sent a hasty telephone message to the Fire Brigade Station. Superintendent Hughes cnlled his men together by ringing the Albert-street bell, and the whole brigade, as well as Captain Field and the Salvage Corps, proceeded rapidly to the scene, where they were speedily joined by the police under Inspector Broham, Sergeant-Major Pratt, and Sergeant Donovan. At the first glance at the ship it was seen that the task of controlling and extinguishing the tire was likely to be a tough one, while the peculiar odour of the grey smoke that rolled up from the fore hatch gavo token that it was the ship's cargo of flax which was burning. In a few minutes the Brigade, assisted by Captain Hinckley and his officers and men, had got a couple of leads of hose (attached to the city plugs on the wharf, which gave an excellent pressure upon the forehold, and after pouring copious atreanis of water down the single hatch that hud been removed, steam began to rise thickly and the smose to lessen. This state of affairs did not, however, last long, and the thick* en ing clouds of dense smoke showed that the seat of the fire had not been reached. Indeed by this time it had become apparent that the outbreak had not occurred on the t.ween decks, but had started in the lower hold. Owing to the suffocating smoke it was at first impossible to get a lead down to this lower level through the forehatch, and unfortunately any access by way of the main hold was blocked by tier upon tier of closely-packed flax on the 'tween decks, which it would take a long time to break through. The firemen hail a trying task to keep the leads directod down the hatchway, and the heat arid smoke were too great to enable anyone to see if the hatchways on the 'tween deck were opened or not. This state of affairs went (Mi till past two a.m., the Brigade meantime having to cut holes in the vessel's deck ami get fresh loads on, but at every aperture that was made the dense grey smoke came curling out in thick, masses, half choking and blinding the firemen. They, however, stuck manfully to their work and tons of water were poured into the ship's forehold. Though this seemed to make but little impression upon the burning, its effect was manifest by the great list which the ship took to port, or away from the wharf, her decks being canted to an angle of fully '23 degrees. Captain Hinckley states that he had retired before eleven o'clock, but not feeling sleepy got up, and was making his way into the cabin when the first alarm had been given. He is quite unable to account for the outbreak, as the covering of the lower forehatch had been closed for three days, that portion of the hold having been stowed full and finished with. From the firm hold which the fire has, it must, however, have been smouldering for a long time without any outward sign being discernible. This theory is confirmed strongly by the officers' testimony. About three p.m. on Wednesday the second mate, who had been engaged in mixing paint near the forecastle, came to the chief officer, Mr, Milner, who was standing on the pooμ-tiecl< aft, and said "Do you not smell tire?" Mr. Milner replied " No," but as a precautionary measure the two went round the ship, and the second officer not again discerning any sign of fire, though they went so far as to go down the open main hatch in their investigations, the matter was disniisded aa imagination on the eecond officer's part. Mr. C. E. Houghton, manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, was quickly upon the scene of the iire, and he informs us that the cargo that h%d already been placed on board the Leading Wind, is, aa is customery, covered by insurance under an open policy. In case of the efforts of the Firs Brigade proving ineffectual to extinguish the lire, the question of towine the ship char of the wharf and scuttling her was verj seriously considered, but naturally it was decided to postpone so serious a step as long as possible, indeed the state of the tide was such that such a measure could not be effected until about 3 p.m. However, a steamer was ordered to be in readiness to tow the veseel over to tho Calliope Dock with a view to sinking her there. Mrs. Hinckley, the captain's wife* resides on board the ship, and was rudely avakoned by the and clangour of Jhe first alarm. Hurriedly dressing, she tame on deck, and shortly afterwards left in a cab to stay for the remainder of the night with some shore friends.

The American ship Leading Wind came here on January 3 from Dunedin, with a cargo of 1700 sacks produce. She is a modern wooden vessel of 1280 tons burden. She reached Port Chalmers abouj a month ago from New York with a full freighting of American kerosene and merchandise. On her discharge ?he was chartered by the New Zealand Shipping Company to load flax and gum here for New York. Her master, Captain Hinckley, was too ill at the time of her departure from the Southern port to come up the coast with her, but recovered, and resumed his command.

Her Southern grain was got out about a fortnight ago, and the New Zealand Shipping Company have been making excellent despatch with her loading, Captain J. Nearing, the well-known stevedore, being in charge of operations. She had got about ">OO tons flax on board, the lower hold being full up to the ship's bow, and containing a quantity of gum as well as of ftex. None of the former waa, however, judged to be at the seat of the fire. The 'tween decks also had a lot of cargo stowed, the space intervening between the main hatch and forehatch (which are not divided by any bulkhead), being, as mentioned before, stowed up with a tightly packed wall of bales.