BLAZING SHIP DRAMA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21640, 4 November 1933, Page 2 (Supplement)

BLAZING SHIP DRAMA

CREW'S GALLANT FIGHT

INFERNO IN HEAVY SEAS

THRILLING FOR SHORE

A blazing ship in a heavy sea; gallant efforts by the crew to subdue the flames; the beaching of the still burning vessel; the rescue of the twentyfour members of the crew by the Gorleston lifeboat and two explosions and sheets of flame in the darkness of the night. These wore the elements in a sea drama which thrilled a watching throng of holiday-makers at Yarmouth on September 14. The ship was the British steamer Porthcawl, and the fire broke out. in her cargo of esparto grass. Great heroism was displayed by the wireless operator, Mr. MacMullan, of Glasgow who, despite the flames, continued to send out messages throughout the afternoon. Finally he was driven out of his room by the fire. The Porthcawl, a vessel of 2481 tons, was on her way from North Africa to the Firth of Forth. The cargo was found to be on fire when 15 miles southeast of Cromer. Tho grass, which cris highly inflammable, blazed up at once, and in a few minutes tho ship was a raging inferno. The crew got the hoses going, but the fire spread all over the bunkers, and eventually reached No. 2 hold. When that began to burn it was decided to turn the Porthcawl back to Yarmouth. A Magnificent Spectacle The SOS messages were picked up by a Harwich tug, and the Gorleston and Cromor lifeboats went to the Porthcawl's assistance. Just before tho beaching of the vessel abreast of Caister, near Yarmouth, the crew took off in her boat and were rescued by the Gorleston lifeboat, Captain Harrison, tho skipper, ljeing the last to leave the ship. The Porthcawl continued to be a " huge bonfire " after sho was beached, and provided a magnificent spectacle for the people who crowded tho promenades. Two loud explosions took place. No tugs could remain near her because of tho intense heat. Flames leapt from stem to stern, lighting up the rough seas. Early the following morning she was still blazing fiercely, and was expected to continue burning for many hours.

" One and a half miles away at our station we heard the roar of the fire, and then there was a terrific explosion," a Yarmouth coastguard said. "We thought one of the masts had crashed, 'but they were still standing. It was probably the ship's supplies of rockets and signals. Her sides were red hot, and tongues of flames leapt from the holds. The hatches had probably burned way. Grass which was loaded on deck burned like a haystack, making the ship appear like a roaring furnace set in a black sea."

Lloyd's agents at Yarmouth, who had been instructed to co-operate with Captain Harrison in efforts to extinguish the fire, went out in a tug equipped with powerful pumps. The tug tried her best, but could not get near enough to do anything effective. Strenuous Fight with Flames

A graphic account of the crew's fight with the flames while trying to reach shore was given by the second officer, Mr. William L.yle. We were just passing the Cockle lightship, to the north of Caister," lie said, " when smoke suddenly appeared ffom the port bunkers. The fire alarm was given at once, yet bofore the hose-pipes were brought into action great tongues -of flame appeared. We made desperate attempts to isolate the fire, but the breeze fanned the blaze in spite of our efforts and Ave decided to try to get back to Yarmouth. " The crew worked like heroes. Clouds of smoke made our eyes smart and hampered our efforts, and as we moved slowly toward Yarmouth on our own power * the heat became unbearable. Wo threw off our shirts and pumped water continuously 011 the fire. The captain said lie would remain until there was not a hope left, and the whole of the cargo and the forecastle was blazing fiercely before we beached the ship and took) to the ship's lifeboat." Staying Until Last Minute

The rescue of the crew was described by Mr. W. Halsnagth, coxswain of the Gorleston lifeboat. " The men were in a terrible state of exhaustion when we took them aboard from the Porthca.wl's boat," lie stated. " Many of them were as black as negroes with the smoke. Their eyes were running and the perspiration was running on their sootblackened faces. "It was an awe-inspiring sight to see the blazing ship coming slowly through the water. We stood by for about half an hour before the crew left, and we could see them battling with the flames. They stayed until the very last minute possible. Then the Porthcawl was beached on Caister sandbank, iand the crew put off in their boat and we picked them^np." Tribute was paid to Captain Harrison for getting his vessel within a few hundred yards of the shore.

Mr. F. F. Brown, a member of the crow of tho Caistor lifeboat, said that

only ft» man who know the const well could have clone it. " To reach the inner shoal, where lie benched, Captain Harrison hnd to cot round tho difficult Barcar sand," said Mr. Brown. " It was a fine bit of seamanship."