FIRE ON THE WILLOCHRA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16239, 24 November 1914, Page 6

FIRE ON THE WILLOCHRA

SUSPICIONS CIRCUMSTANCES. A firo on tho steamer Willochra, which is at present being fitted out at Port Chalmers as a troopship, woe discovered yesterday, i From what can bo learned it appears that e»n»o shavings wero piled up directly under- j neath one of tho newly-constructcd bunks, | and after being saturated with kerosene were ] set on firo. Fortunately for the Union j Steam Ship Company, which has chartered j iho vessel, the new timber of tho bunk I and also the slhavings proved to bo green, 1 and not easy to Ignite, and that fact was probably responsible for saving the ship, as . very little damage appears to havo been i dona The attempt to set firo to tho vessel j was probably made on Sunday night or , early yesterday morning, but it was not dis- ; oovered till some time later. Very little can be ascertained with regard to the origin of tho outbreak, and tho. occurrence is all the more inexplicable as part of the crew wore sleeping on board. Egress to the ves- , sol seems to have been gained from a hulk ; which v/ae moored alongside, and it is intended to remove this to-day. It is understood that more stringent precautions will be taken in the future, and during the night an armed guard will bo placed on duty on both the Willochra and the Verdala. So far as tho Defence Department is concerned, it is, of course, free from all responsibility in connection with tho attempt at incendiarism, as it had not taken over the Willochra, and therefore had no sentries on board. The polico are at present investigating the matter.