DAMAGED EUROPA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20252, 11 May 1929, Page 11

DAMAGED EUROPA.

REPORT UPON CONDITION. IN SERVICE NEXT SPRING. United Service. BERLIN, May 9. The North German Lloyd Company has issued a statement to the effect that a thorough investigation has shown that the liner Euiopa, on which a fire occurred on March 26, was not damaged below the water-line. It is now hoped that the vessel will enter the company's service next spring.

Fire broke out on the new giant At

lantic liner Europa, of 46.000 tons —the pride of Germany, which with her sister ship the Bremen, was the national hope

"or the blue riband of the Atlantic—;arly on Tuesday, March 26, while she

lay having her inner fittings completed in Hamburg dockyard. Not all the efforts of the united fire brigades of the city, and help from the ships in the harbour, could save the great liner, the longest ship in the world, which was to have made her maiden voyage in August. The fire broke out simultaneously in

the depths of the ship and amidships about 2 a.m. The 10 watchmen, who were

the only people on board, had just gone their rounds, when suddenly they were startled by masses of flame breaking out in various parts of tho ship. The fire made rapid headway, despite the 60 hoses that were soon playing on the vessel. By 9 a.m. the whole of the Europa, from her keel to the captain's bridge, seemed to be a seething mass of flames and glowing steel, flinging a volcanic rain of sparks over the Blohm Voss wall.

The danger to other ships lying there was so great that they had to be removed hastily from the danger zone. The intense heat radiated by the burning hull made the task of the firemen an exceedingly difficult one, and several of them were overcome. Clouds of dense yellow smoke showed that the oil, some of which had already been filled into the tanks, had caught fire. With the knowledge that the oil was on firo hopes of saving tho vessel-vanished, but the fire brigades fought oil valiantly. Tho immense volume of water poured into the ship by the fire brigades had caused her to take a decided list to starboard by 11 a.m., and the steel hawsers which held her to the piers became so taut that it seemed' 1 as though they might snap at any moment and allow tho vessel completely to capsize. The fire inspector in charge of operations was, therefore, reluctantly compelled to withdraw his men from the ship, and content -himself with turning the hoses on the outside of tho glowing hull. The ebb tide came, and gradually the mammoth liner settled down on tho bottom of the river, thus averting any danger of capsizing. The firemen were now able to go on board again. The Europa was to have left Bremen for New York, via Southampton, on her maiden voyage on August 21, and many travellers had already booked their passages. The actual material loss was estimated at about £2,000,000, which the shipbuilding firm of Blohm Voss would have to make good. The ship was, however, insured against fire, and British companies, it was stated, would have to bear tho lion's share of the loss.