THE FIRE ON THE MOKOIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13896, 7 May 1907, Page 5

THE FIRE ON THE MOKOIA

ADDITION".', I, IWIiTICI'LARS. The Union Company's intercolonial steamer Mokoia 121 S3 Ions), aboard which a lire broke out under circumstances recorded in yesterday's issue, carried, anions other 1;01 hales of low and tlax. the principal shippers Ifini; Levin nnd Co.. A. fi. Paterson ai<! Co., and Kaye and Carter. of Wellington. From 12.30 a.m. when l!ii' City Fire Brigade, under Captain Mitchell. arrivnl on t!:e scene, until 2 n.m. determined eli'orts were made by the tilemen and officers of t.he ship to locate the .exact. 5-t.o; wlr'io the outbreak occurrcd, otto portion of carjro after another being rapidly removed, '.viiilsl r.ho liores were playing. Il was llien found m'ccs?ary to pcur in sufficient water to flood the lower portion' of this hold altogether. Koine idea of Iho energy with which this was done may bo gathered fram the fact that about 300 lons of water was pourctl into the ship, the water 1 lion rising to s depth of ]2ft 6in in the hold, 'l'his gradually toaked ;'mo:mil the intervening and reached the fire, and by 5 o'clock whatever danger there me k - have been had been effectually removed. The pumping cut o{ the hold was bri-'klv proceeded with yesterday, but. at noon, when the ship left the Cross wharf for I'ort Chalmers, t.liero was still ?ft of water below. At 1 p.m. it was, however, all pimnx'd out. The vessel was surveyed by the (Jnvornment. and British Corporation surveyors at. Port Chalmers prior to sailincf for Melbourne. "When the remainder of the damaged ei was discharged into trucks it was found that a number of bales of tow were churrcd all round to a thickness of five or six indies, but tho only damage sustained by the vessel was Uie charring of a few planks in tho 'tween decks altove the point whero tho tow was on fire. Tlie damage is so slight thai it will not be accessary to trouble l about it until the v esscl lnys up in duo course for her annn;.< overhaid. A general average of 5 per cent, was collected on Iho cargo yesterday. Tho insurances ■on the latter have not yet transpired, but tile risk on the steamer is covered by the Union Company's own insurance fund,