SHIP ON FIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24525, 6 February 1941, Page 6

SHIP ON FIRE

OVERSEAS VESSEL OIL FUEL IGNITES CLOUDS- OF PUNGENT SMOKE DAMAGE FAIRLY SERIOUS (Per United Press Association) ' ’ WELLINGTON. Feb. 5. Suffocating smoke from burning oil fuel oh an Overseas ship berthed at Wellington brought several fire engines to the spot and an attempt was made to smother the flames with a foam extinguisher, but the fire was deep-seated and showed little sign of slackening leading to more drastic methods being adopted Three of the most powerful motor pumps at the brigade’s disposal, were backed against the edge of the wharf, hoses were dropped into' the harbour and seven leads were taken aboard the ship. The Toia, the Harbour Board’s tUg. which is fplly equipped for fire Quelling, also took a hand and after the fire had been partly subdued a squad of naval reservists was out to work carrying cans of powder for chemical extinguishing, and in this manner the final assault was made No flames were apparent at any stage and the fire was out after two hours. Although no flames were seen from the wharf, thick, pungent smoke which rose above the masts was a beacon which drew many sightseers, although the scene was well away from the heart of the city. Oxygen apparatus was used by firemen, especially in the early stages of the outbreak, and an ambulance stood by. Two brigadesmen were treated for the ill-effects of smoke, but neither was sufficiently affected to require removal to hospital. Fire brigade officers later expressed their appreciation of the gallant efforts of one of the ship’s officers who. though he had been burned about the shoulders, carried on near the seat of the fire with his work of assisting the brigadesmen. Buckling of Steel Plating The seat of the fire was evidently in a fuel oil compartment, well down in the engine room, and the intensity of the heat was shown in the buckling of the steel plating of the ship on the starboard side. The fire fighters were manfully assisted by the ship’s crew, a party of naval ratings and Harbour Board employees and others. Preparations were made for the use of foam to smother the fire, but it was got under control by water, which is stated to have flooded the engine room to a depth of .even or eight feet. At one stage it was feared that two men had been trapped in the blazing engine room and an ambulance van was held in readiness to receive them in the event of their being rescued. They were the second engineer and one of his men. They had a trying time down below, but emerged safely after ,a while, little worse for their experience, ■ though one of them had been burned about the shoulders by falling paint before the pumping was commenced. - Pumping Out of Water The doors 'in the ship’s water-tight bulkheads were closed. When jthe fire had been completely extinguished a start was .made, to cut holes in. the ship’s steel plating to-admit large intake pipes to the engine-room for the purpose of pumping the water. outwork in which the Toia was continuously.. employed throughout the afternoon. „ . The fire was a , particularly unfortunate occurrence, as the ship had been in Wellington for some months undergoing major repairs to her hull struck ture. The full extent of the fire damage will not be known until a survey has been made, but it is believed to be fairly serious. Being an oil-engined ship, most of her pumps and other auxiliary machinery are electrically driven Thus, apart from actual fire damage, the ship’s electric generators and motors will have suffered from the heavy flood of sea water pumped into the engine, room.