KAIKOURA FIRE

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11935, 16 September 1924, Page 6

KAIKOURA FIRE

NOT BADLY DAMAGED SURVEY OF THE CARGO MAY COMMENCE TO-DAY. REPAIRS TO BE MADE. It was apparent yesterday that the liner Kaikoura had suffered no very serious damage from the fire which broke out on board her on Saturday night. • The No. 4 and No. 5 holds, in which the blaze occurred, had been emptied when a “Times” reporter visited the ship, and the small amount of cargo to reach the wharf had been sent into the shed. PLATING BUCKLED. Three cabins in a deckhouse which was visited by the flames were gutted completely; but the only other sign of fire was in the vicinity of the hatches, where the planking of the deck on tho starboard side had been torn up, exposing the badly buckled plating to the view. It would seem that the worst of the fire was on this side, and it ia known that the seat of the blaze was in 'the shelter-deck, the cargo in the decks below not being injured by fames, but suffering badly from water and smoke. A LIBERAL'ALLOWANCE. The three ship’s hoses and two tire brigade leads which played on the blaze, working from either end, because of the flax and paints stowed at each end of the hold had poured a liberal allowance of water over the decks, and the goods below were very thorough’y soaked. CLEARING THE HOLDS. All yesterday, and on Sunday also, the watersiders worked clearing the holds. It is known that the whole of the copra in Nos. 4 and o was destroyed, though more copra was stowed in Nos. 1 and 2, and in the afterpeak. Practically all the kauri gum and kauri timber on the vessel was in the. holds affected, and was burned, as al® waa a quantity of hemp. Some pumice rand has been put out, but has suffered badly from water. ALL INFLAMMABLE CARGO. The flames had raged along the continuous ’tween decks (Nos. 4 and 5 am. not separated), and had virtually destroyed all the more inflammable cargo in the centre. There was no Wellington cargo in the holds in question, and little left in the ship at all. Most of it had been discharged beforehand, save for some tons of sted plates consigned to A. Hatrick and Cc, 160 bundles of fish plates for the Public Works Department, 200 tons of til plates, and some packages of sundries None of these would be affected by the fire. SURVEY TO BE MADE. It now remains for a survey of the damaged cargo to be made. This ia expected to be held to-day, and it ia likely that Mr A. Walker will represent the New Zealand Marine Underwriters’ Association; Mr D. K. Blair, Lloyd’s; and Captain A. Atwood the owners of the vessel. All the interested parties are on the spot, and the survey can be arranged at any momentIt will then be known just how much damage has been done to the cargo, and for what ports it waa destined. At present all that can be gleaned ia the fact that except for the outward cargo (the kauri gum and timber), which was taken en at Auckland, the lower decks in Nos. 4 and 5 held goods destined for southern ports. REPAIRING THE SHIP. When approached by a “Times” re porter yesterday, Captain A. Bone, Marine Superintendent for the New Zealand Shipping Company, had little to say as to the state of affairs on the damaged vessel. It is not announced whether the necessary repairs to the holds will be made here, or whether she will be dispatched south, and have matters put right at her final ports of discharge. The matter seems yet undecided, bus the ship’s surveyors looked the- vessel over yesterday, and should help the company to a decision. The trouble ia that at present the deck is not watertight, and it is felt that this must be put right at once. Mieantime the date of the vessel’s departure is uncertainORIGIN OF FIRE. The origin of the fire is yet a sub* ject of speculation, but it is pointed out that during the past ten yeard there has been a series of fires on over-1 seas vessels loading outward in Neel Zealand. Further, it is said that in almost every instance where they have taken place in Wellington, either before the vessels left or after they had loaded, they have originated on the decks where kauri gum, flax, and wool has been stowed. Spontaneous combustion was Bet down as the cause of almost every one of the fires, and it is considered likely in the present instance that oil from the overheated copra was responsible for the outbreak. No insurance figures were forthcoming to inquiry yesterday.