LAUNCH BURNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22404, 28 April 1936, Page 10

LAUNCH BURNED

LARGE ROTORUA CRAFT SURPRISE FOR SIGHTSEERS [by telegraph—own correspondent] ROTORUA, Monday While a party of sightseers was being conducted over Mokoia Island, the launch Rotorua, which had conveyed the people to the island and which had been moored to the wharf, caught fire and was destroyed. The launch, which was the largest on the lake, was owned by the Rotorua Ferry Company (Messrs. A. Clarke and Tereira) and was used for conveying passengers on sightseeing tours. It could accommodate approximately 50 passengers and had only recently been put back into commission after being tied up for a considerable period. After the arrival of the party at the island, the launch was securely moored to the wharf, but when the passengers and their guides returned to the landing place they found, to their amazement, that the craft had completely disappeared. All that remained to tell the story were the charred remains of the wharf timbers. The party was stranded for a period, but was eventually rescued by Mr. W. Pollock's launch from Rotorua. Although the fire was not seen, the launch apparently caught fire soon after the party departed and burned to the water's edge, when it sank. The charred bottom beams and the engine block could be seen lying beside the wharf piles, providing the only evidence of the fate of the craft. The wharf was badly damaged and will have to be replaced. Insurances on the launch were not available.