FIRE ON A STEAMER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10962, 3 May 1907, Page 4

FIRE ON A STEAMER.

NARROW ESCAPE OF THE

WAREATEA

The s.s. Wareatea, 512 tons (Capt. Holyman), formerly a Union steamer, liad a narrow escape last week whilst en route to Melbourne. She left Launceston with 1500 bales of straw, 300 bags of coal, 8000 ft timber, and sundries consigned to Ellerkerand Co., and passed Tamar Heads at 9 o'clock. About midnight, when, .40 miles out, smoke was discovered issuing from; the forehold, where the straw was stowed. All efforts to extinguish the fire proved unsuccessful, and the captain decided to return to the Tamar.

The crew worked hard* at the pumps, endeavoring* to quecli the flames, which increased m volume. The Heads were. reach, ed at 5 o'clock this morning, and the steamer beaclied at the back of Middle Island, m. the river, about four miles from the Heads. She was filled with water, and the fire extinguished. The Wareatea was not insured. The crew bad a very anxious time before reaching the Heads, owing to the dens© smoke and flames spreading. They worked at the pumps heroically.