The Fire on the Ship Everest.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVII, Issue 5207, 13 February 1892, Page 3

The Fire on the Ship Everest.

(by telegraph.) Ciiristchurch, February 12. The jury, at the inquiry held as to the fire in the lazarette of the ship Everest, oil January 30th, returned a verdict that the vessel had been set on fire by some person unknown ; but immediately afterwards Emmanuel Pont, cook of the ship, was arrested on a charge of arson, and remanded to Wednesday. The evidence showed that he and other members of the crew had incurred debts to a tailor in Lyttelton who trusted them on the understanding that if the ship was condemned he would get paid. The crew apparently thought it very probable she would be condemned as unseaworthy. On the night of the fire the cook came aboard, and went behind the tank aft near where the fire began, and remained there several minutes. Soon afterwards a fire broke out. He made contradictory statements to the police, and made one of the crew drunk in order to induce him to tell a story about having heard the mate say he had dynamite enough to destroy the ship. The kerosene tin usually kept by the cook was found in the lazarette after the fire. It was not there on the previous evening.