FIRE ON THE TARAWERA

Otago Witness, Issue 2745, 24 October 1906, Page 16

FIRE ON THE TARAWERA

A VERY TRYING TIME. SPLENDID WORK BY. THE OFFICERS AND CREW. OHE PASSENGERS BEHAVE COOLLY. AUCKLAND, October 18. The passengers aboard the e.s. Tarawexa, *rhich arrived ' from southern and East Coast ports at half-past 12 o'clock to-day, had an exerting 1 experience last night. Tho steamer left Gisborne at 9.30 a.m. yesterday, and all went well ' until a quarter-past 11 o'clock last night. One •of the crew on watch then noticed smoke issuing from the after hatch, and immeditely gave warning to the third officer (Mr Ryan), who was then on watch. He at once gave warning to Captain J. T. Rolls and the officers of the vessel, and half a minute the captain and the first officer were at the hatch. A dense <volume of smoke was then issuing from the hatchway, entirely preventing the removing of the- coverings. Captain Rolls then gave orders for the cutting open of the deck above the blaze, end in a few minutes axes had opened up « hole in the main deck. The vessel was plentifully supplied with hand-grenades, ■which, when broken, liberate volumes of carbonic acid gas. These were thrown •down through openings in the deck, and simultaneously the sea pump was got to work, and water was pumped • into the told to the full capacity of the pumps. Meantime the vessel's engines were slowed down to " Slow ahead," bo that there would be no draught to fan ihe flames. Recognising how serious might be the case, Captain Rolls had all the passengers mustered. This was done very quietly, in order that no unnecessary alarm might be caused, and the passengers were' given time to drees themselves fully and to Beoure all their belongings. The boats were also swung out ready for immediate launching, and the stewards were instructed to put in extra provisions— the water and provisions required by the Shipping and Seamen Act being, already in the boats. They were swung out rapidly and quietly, and were ready to leave the ship's side at a momeni's notice, equipped with sufficient provisions to last for several weeks, though they were but a few miles from shore. The passengers, when warned of the danger, behaved splendidly, and, although there were a number of women and chilIren aboard, there was not the slightest sign of panic— everybody behaving splendidly. SUPPRESSING THE FIRE. The officers and crew worked at the seat of the fire with the greatest determination. The flames appeared abov© the hatchway, ■nd the smoke was suffocating in its intensity. The men held to their task in spite of this, and in all sft of water was pumped anto the hold. The hatchway could not •be approached, but through holes in the "deck water was pumped on the seat of the blaze. In less than an hour after the discovery of the outbreak the effort 6of the crew caused a diminution of the volume of smoke issuing from the hold. The men ontinued their work at full pressure, and fey 2 o'clock it was apparent that the fire was under control. Less than an hour later the volume of smoko had 6O diminished as to allow entrance into the hold, and Captain Rolls, followed by the .shief officer <Mr A. T. Norton), entered the .hold. There was then no sign of blaze, imd the smouldering had almost ceased. By 3 o'clock this morning tho fire had 3en entirely extinguished, and the vessel fcras put on her course " Full apeed ahead,"

arriving, as a result ' of the delay, about three hours behind her usual time. SPLENDID DISCIPLINE. The passengers returned to their cabins, and by 4 o'clock there was nothing aboard to indicate that anything out of the ordinary had "happened. The discipline aboard, according to several passengers interviewed, was perfect The crew behaved splendidly, and left nothing undone to secure the safety of the ship. T£ this they attribute the fact that they are m Auckland to-day, one passenger expressing the view that with ineompete'nt, officers and crew the ship would, have been numbered among the huge total of ships that have " disappeared at sea."

" Very good business," was another passenger's description «f the work of the crew. " They could not have done more," he said, " and their devotion- to their duty was superb. The captain proved himself a splendid man in the emergency which arose, and the example was not lost on passengers, who behaved splendidly."

THE DAMAGE.

The vessel was practically undamaged by fire, so far as her hull was concerned, nothing which, will require laying up being occasioned. All the cargo in the after hold, between 200 and 300 -tons, was damaged either by fire or water, and none of the cargo in the vessel will be released until an examination. The exact amount of the damage will not be know until the hold is emptied. There was no flax or wool in the hold, and nothing of a nature likely to induce spontaneous combustion. The origin of the fire is a complete mystery, every precaution, as is usual on U.S.S. steamers, having been taken to prevent fire among the cargo.

A PASSENGER INTERVIEWED.

One of the passengers from Gisborne to Auckland, Mr H. W. Bligh, of tho Australasian White Cross League, on being interviewed, said: "I was awakened shortly before midnight by the steward coming to my cabin, «nd telling me to dress myself and come on deck, as the steamer was on fire, and it was aot possible to say how things might go. I could at once perceive an acid odour in the air, as of chemicals burning, so I lost no time in dressing and going on deck. Mine was a deck cabin, so that I just had to step out of it, and at once a dense mass of smoke, rising from the hatches, saloon, companion way, and apparently every cranny leading from befovr, warned me that something serious was astir. The other passengers were coming up from below, wliile some of the crew were engaged in swinging out Ihe boats ready for lowering, and others were combatting with the fire, the seat of which appeared to be under the saloon, somewhere about amidships. The hatch had been lifted, and hoses led down below, while, in spite of dense smoke, men also went down to fight the flames in their 6tronghold. What struck me with peculiar force, though," said the narrator, " was the entire absence of anything approaching panic, or even extreme •nervousness on the part of passengers, although there was a fair proportion of women and children, and the situation, especially to a landsman's eye, appeared very grave. The ship had been stopped to avoid increasing the draught, and even the officers regarded the situation as very seriou% indeed. As for the behaviour of the officers and crew, it was simply perfect. Everybody eecmed to be like a* cog in a wheel, and tho combat with the flames proceeded throughout with not the least suspicion of excitement or nervous haste. The officers did not eyon raise their voices heyond the ordinary pitch in giving order*. I noticed two of them with their hands in' their pockets talking quietly tognthor near the bridge, as though the whole thing were a parade."

" I had never been at sea on a burning ship before," continued Mr Bligh, '" but I was not a little astonished to discover such discipline at « time that must have been extremely trying to ell hands. There is no doubt about the British sailor," enthusiastically said the speaker. '•' He never fails to acquit himself at a critical moment as though the whole world depended, on hi 3 steadiness, and when that I characteristic is heightened by such grand ■ discipline as I witnessed last night, it •warms the blood to claim kinehip with him. It was clearly this calm and confident attitude of the shio's company that j instilled corresponding steadiness into the passengers, for the circumstances were tryj ing enough to search out the nervous one«. [to say the leant of it Although the night

was beautifully clear and fine, the ship had been stopped to minimise the draught, and there we drifted, 86 miles from the land, and with the probability of having to desert the vessel in the boats. When the passengers in the main deck eabine came up they declared that the smoke anS heat were growing intolerable, but as we were obliged to keep on the top deck, we were not able to arrive- at anything definite as to the extent of the fire. I suppose we were on deck about an hour and a-half altogether when the crew obtained control. They quickly reduced the flames, but before this was accomplished some six or seveiv feet of water had been .poured into the hold. I was not able to gather anything very definite as to the extent of the injury, but I heard it remarked after the outbreak had been reduced that the whole space under tho saloon was seething with flame. Of course the hatches were kept as tight as working permitted to endeavour td choke the flames as much as possible. Altogether," added Mr Bligh, " the experience was a sufficiently impressive one, and one to remember."

A CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS.

Before landing this morning, the passengera gathered in the saloon, where Mr Bligh, on their behalf, presented the following address to the caotain, officers, and crew of the ship: "We, the passengers on the Tarawera on the 18th October, 1906, desire to express our appreciation of the successful efforts made by the captain, officers, and crew to save, our lives from the terrible danger of fire. We have been impressed by the excellent order maintained through the time of beating the flames. The quiet manner of the men prevented any useless fear amongst us. and now that the danger is past we can realise (what we were not permitted to know at the time) how much we have to be thankful for." The names of all passengers, between 50 and 60, were subscribed to the letter.

In replying to this testimonial the captain expressed his satisfaction at having 1 been able to land them from the vessel instead of taking them .ashore in the Bay of Plenty by means of boats. They had only ciono their duty, however, and he would take tho opportunity of congratulating the passengers for the calm manner in which they had faced the situation, because in a time of uneasiness, which last night had certainly been, such calmness on the- pa.rt of passengers made a great difference to those in whose care they were for the time being. Hearty cheers were then given for the captain, officers, and crew.