FIRE ON THE MELVILLE ISLAND.

New Zealand Mail, 29 November 1900, Page 56

FIRE ON THE MELVILLE ISLAND.

Further particulars regarding the serious fire which broke out cn the ship MelvilleXsland on October 28tli when on the voyage from Santos, Brazil, to Melbourne, show- that at 4 o’clock that morning, when in latitude 47,. the cabin became full of smoke. Captain Larkin sprang to the lazarette and lifting the cover found everything beneath was on fire. Hastily removing his wife-to a place of gieater safety-, all hands were caller! and the battle for life began. The fire ate its way into the cabin and the,flames occasionally shot up through the rah l / 1 - All that day the crew fought and mgju found them wearied and famished and tne ship a flaming beacon on the waters. Mianight came and the crew were still nghmh, the flames. Then it was noticed that tne tide had turned and the flames were receaing, though ever so slightly. T' ro anxious days passed before the names w> finally subdued and the damage could w ascertained. Then it was seen that t the foot of the mizzen mast aft eve , r 7r] / had gone—saloon, cabins, decks,, cloth &> nautical instruments, compasses charts—and these was no means ot taining the vessel’s true positioi. bare iron of the hull lay exposedthe steamer Oerio, off the coast, t tain learnt liis true P, 03ltl0 a.Waide, barque Mary Wadley, bound for A t s, spared charts, almanacs, and ms ami Port Phillip Heads were dulymade_ The skipper cannot account tor _ break, as there was nothing of n i go mable nature in that part of the> snip. suddenly did the flames LvTher lifewife had barely escaped wit - rope 9 The wheel had gon». so two long ® were secured to the rudder 1 , yelthis way the vessel was steered tor bourne. The Mdville Island s at vssel of 1468 tens. She loaded Wellington three seasons ago-