THE CANADIAN PIONEER

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11436, 5 February 1923, Page 2

THE CANADIAN PIONEER

FIRE EXTINGUISHED ANOTHER OUTBREAK ON VESSEL. WOOL BEING DISCHARGED. (Special to the “Times.”) AUCKLAND, February 3. No danger of the fire breaking out again on the Canadian Pioneer could be traced by those working on the ship to-day But representatives of the fire brigade were standing by in case a renewal of the outbreak should require their assistance The last smoulderings had been extinguished just after midnight, and no more water was pumped into the ship after 1 a.m.; but as the possibility of the fire being renewed by spontaneous combustion of the cargo had been instanced on the previous evening, no chances were taken this morning either in Number 2 hold or in the bunkers VESSEL'S HEAVY LIST.

The steamer still had a heavy list to port, which made the bulwarks on the starboard side about eight feet higher than on the port side, and soundings in the hold showed a depth of ten feet ofi water. ‘This made a pool of dirty block water in square of the hold, and tbe cargo on the port side in the lower hold was thoroughly soakedi through. On the starboard side it was not thought that the cargo had all been thoroughly soaked by the water poured in, hut the work of shifting the wool from all parts of the wrings on three sides was being carried on while the water was being pumped out. This was moved at the rate of about 60 bales an hour, and stacked in the Harbour Boards shed to be reconditioned; but, the hales of flax, which had been stowed alongside the bulkhead adjoining the bunkers and took up a width of about twenty feet of tho bold on that side, were not being discharged. They will he left in their present positio i until the pressure on the bulkhead is relieved by removing the coal from the bunkers. "" This work wil! be commenced as soon as trucks are availablo. PUMPING OUT THE SHIIP. A start was made to pump out the water in the hold-, and when the lowest hole in tho hull of ti e ship had been widened from 6 inches to 18 inches in diameter to allow the flanges of a big 9-inch hose to pass through, the powerful pump of the firefloat was set going at 11 o’clock. It pumped at tho rate of 15,000 gallons a minute until shortly after noon, and then, by improving the suction system, the outflow was increased to 18,000 gallons a minute. At .the same 'time the ship's pumps were 6et working to remove the water from the hunkers, and, by lifting some 50 tons an hour, they were helping the firefloat considerably to reduce the steamer’s list. AH the sea water between the .Canadian Pioneer and the end of the Central wharf was meanwhile blackened by the burned flax dust that had been mixed with the water in the hold.

To-day (Saturday) the vessel was shifted from the Queen’s wharf to the eastern. side of the Central wharf, to make the Queen's wharf berth available for deep-sea steamers. As yet the owners of the steamer, the Canadian Government Merchant Marine, ore unable to give an estimate of the damage caused by the fire; but particulars are being gathered at the company's office to enable approximr lions to be made. Probably the steamer will be at Auckland for the greater part of next week before she is ready to clear for New York, Boston and Halifax, the ports for which she is loading'. .The work of discharging inward cargo is to be resumed.