WINGATUI AFIRE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19132, 29 September 1936, Page 6

WINGATUI AFIRE

NO. 3 HOLD ABLAZE PUTTING INTO NAPIER FIRE APPLIANCES NEEDED The Union Si cam Ship Company’s Wingatui, bound from Wellington to Auckland with southern produce and general cargo, has reported from a position nine hours’ steam from Napier that fire has broken out in No. 3 hold, according, to a Press Association message received shortly after midday from Napier. Fire appliances have been requisitioned to aid the vessel’s own pumps iu fighting the blaze, and t lie steamer is being pressed to reach port. She is expected to tie up at Napier at S o’clock to-night. Later the Press Association in Wellington advised that telephone inquiries had been made to Castlepoint and Blackhead; which wore adjacent to the Wingatui’s course, but no trace had been seen of the vessel. The-lighthouse-keeper at Castlepoint reported that the Wingatui should have' passed his look-out at 4 o’clock this morning. The weather conditions at both places were squally. The head -office of the Union Steam Ship Company subsequently reported that it understood that the Wingatui’s cargo was smouldering, -amt the position was not serious at present. The fire might be subdued before the Wiugatui reached port.

The Wingatui is one of the company’s older vessels, being a singlescrew steamer, carrying a. complement of about ISO men, and commanded by Captain G. W. Evans. She is engaged regularly in the produce trade from the South Island, and loaded at Lyttelton and Wellington for Auckland. Napier was not included in her schedule, but she is .making an emergency call there to secure fire-fighting aid. The cargo is not believed to have included anything of an inflammable nature, but the vessel may have loaded additional cargo at Wellington in which the fire would find a hold.

Of 237 S tons gross, and 1344 tons net, the Wingatui is not a regular caller at Gisborne, her draught of 20ft., fully loaded, being too great for the ship channel in the harbour basin. She has a length of 310 ft., and a beam of 42ft.