AN OCEAN DRAMA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23704, 11 January 1939, Page 9

AN OCEAN DRAMA

FIRE ON THE RIMUTAKA WIRELESS CALL PICKED UP j OUTBREAK UNDER CONTROL (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, Jan. 9." The Rimutaka, en route to Auckland from Panama with 300 passengers and a full cargo, wirelessed from the South Pacific that a fire had broken out in one of the holds the shelter deck. The outbreak is under control, and the vessel is steaming towards the United States, The steamer Yamachichi is 300 miles awav. THE VESSEL’S POSITION LONDON, Jan. 9. The Rimutaka’s position at noon was reported as 32deg 16min south, lb‘4deg 32min west. PROMINENT PASSENGERS <Peb United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Jan. 10. The pasengers on the Rimutaka include a number of doctors and their wives under appointment to the New Zealand Government., and Viceadmiral F. A. Sommerville (retired), the Hon. Charles Molesworth, heir nresumptive to Viscount Molesworth, and his sister, the Hon. Mrs G. Dyson-Lawrie, and Professor D. McDonald, M.D It is learnt that the hold in which the fire is located is immediately forward of the bridge, and the outbreak apparently occurred just under the hatches.

Well known in the trade betw Australia and the United Kingdo the Rimutaka (17,000 tons) was the P. and O. Steam Navigation Company’s Mongolia. She was acquired by the New Zealand Shipping Company last year and transferred to the New Zealand trade, before wnich she was completely remodelled for the requirements of the passenger and cargo service. She sailed from London on December 9, 1938, on her maiden voyage in the new service for Auckland and Wellington, and is expected to arrive at Auckland on Thursday. _ _ The Dunedin office of the New Zealand Shipping Company yesterday received the following telegram from the company’s head office at Wellington:Rimutaka’s arrival at Auckland delayed on account of fire in No. 3 hold. The American steamer Yamachichi is standing by until fire is under complete control.” It was stated yesterday by the Dunedin office that the position of the vessel as . given in the Press Association cablegram from London would make her four days’ steaming from Auckland. In view of this fact and in view of the statements contained in the telegram from the head office, doubt was expressed as to the authenticity of the report cabled from London that the vessel was steaming towards the United States. A REASSURING MESSAGE ' NO ASSISTANCE REQUIRED (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Jan. 10. At the Devonport Naval Base the cruiser Leander, flagship of the New Zealand squadron, was preparing to stand by .to render aid to the Rimutaka. Acting on instructions from the Navv Office in Wellington, the Leander was quickly prepared for a dash to the scene of the fire, ratings being recalled from shore leave, and complete steps were taken to' put to sea The plans were cancelled on receipt of wireless advice from the Rimutaka at 4.30 this afternoon indicating that no assistance was reQU No d copies of the stowage plan of the Rimutaka have yet been received by the Auckland office of the New Zealand Shipping Company, and no indication can be given of the cargo possibly affected by the fire. The question of fixing a general average on the cargo will be decided after investigation when the liner arrives, but it is announced that there will be no delay in discharging. The Rimutaka has a large shipment to be discharged at Auckland and Wellington. One of the most dreaded of all dangers to which a ship at sea may be subjected, the menace of fire, is now greatly lessened by the application of many protective and preventive devices. Many of the very modern ships are fitted with sensitive automatic fire equipment, but it is understood that the Rimutaka in company with a majority of vessels trading to New Zealand, has only inspection methods as a safeguard. Although the passenger accommodation is under constant supervision, the cargo space is inspected at intervals, a system which is practical generally only in fine weather. Even an actual outbreak at sea to-day does not hold the same dangers as in the past, since organisation to tackle fire by hoses and chemical equipment has been almost perfected, and modern ships have been designed and built to isolate any conflagration to a large degree. The use of wireless telegraphy as another safeguard, strikingly shown in hundreds of cases, was again brought into play in the case of the Rimutaka, which was able to advise adjacent shipping of her plight and to bring to the scene an American motor ship.