UNFORTUNATE CAREER

Southland Times, Issue 19691, 26 October 1925, Page 8

UNFORTUNATE CAREER

THE FIRST TURAKINA, THREE FIRES ON BOARD. SUNK BY A SUBMARINE. ' The New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Turakina is the second vessel of that name to be owned by the company. The career of the first Turakina was chequered in the extreme, her service of some 16 years being marked by three outbreaks of fire. It was brought to a close when she was torpedoed during the war. She was built in 1902, being of almost similar tonnage to the present steamer bearing her name. In 1905, while lying at the Glasgow Wharf, Wellington, a fire occurred in some flax and wool shipped at Bluff. This was a little over two years after the vessel was built, by a strange coincidence an almost identical period with that between the construction of the new Turakina and the present outbreak. The second outbreak on the Turakina occurred in 1907, when the vessel was about 550 miles from the Chathams and 1000 miles from Wellington en route to London. She returned to Wellington and after a hard tussle the flames were suppressed, not, however, before damage to the extent of about £lOO,OOO had been done. In 1913, while at Rio de Janeiro, another outbreak occurred, the vessel carrying a valuable cargo, which was seriously damaged. The Turakina’s unfortunate career came to an end in August, 1917, when she was sunk in the Atlantic by a German submarine. The present Turakina was built only in 1923 at. the yards of Messrs. W. Hamilton and Company, Glasgow. She has a gross register of 8565 tons. Her dimensions are: Length, 460 ft; breadth, 62ft; and depth, 35ft. She is a steel built vessel, and is fitted with refrigerating machinery, as well as being equipped with the latest devices for the handling and stowage of cargo. She arrived at Auckland on August 10 from London, and after part discharge proceeded south to complete. She then commenced Homeward loading, intending to work up the coast back to Auckland, which was to be her final port of call.