LARGE LAUNCH BURNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18292, 8 January 1923, Page 4

LARGE LAUNCH BURNED

{ABANDONED NEAR RANGITOTO j ATTEMPT TO QUELL FLAMES. i ~ | WARNING AGAINST EXPLOSION. i ! .The cruising launch Marania was de- • stroyed by fire off Rangitoto Island yesj terday morning. The occupants, whose I names could not be ascertained yesterj day,,escaped in a dinghy. J Tiie launch was anchored in the channel i near the beach close to the beacon. It was i seen to burst into flames at about 9.30 I a.m., and the three occupants took to the j dinghy and abandoned the burning vessel. i About, half an hour later the Launch and I Tow-boat Company's launch Jumbo, with \ a fishing party of "about 30 men on board, I ran alongside" of the burning'launch and j attempted to extinguish the flames with } buckets of water and patent fire extinguishers. The party report that they were subduing the outbreak when two men and a woman approached in a dinghy and told them to desist as a large quantity of benzine was stored in a tank on the burning launch. As the people in the dinghy were under- ? stood to be from the burning launch the I Jumbo's men ceased their salvage opera- | tions and left the Marama to her fate. i Before leaving finally the captain of the j Jumbo offered to tow the launch to the I beach, but this offer was refused. i It was not stated who owned the Mar--1 1 ama, which, it is estimated, was Worth I over £600. ' The fishing party were in- ? formed that the vessel had been insured, • but the insurance had run out. I After burning for about two hours the ' j Marama was reported to have sunk. The ! party from the launch camped on. RangiS toto for the night. . c • i _.