SHIP IN FLAMES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 127, 11 May 1936, Page 6

SHIP IN FLAMES.

Great Damage On Tasmanian Passenger Steamer.

TOTAL DESTRUCTION THREATENED,

Press Association —Copyright. Melbourne, May 10

Damage estimated at between £BO6O and £IO,OOO was caused to the Tasmanian passenger steamer Taroona of 4286 tons at the river berth at 11 a.m. to-day. Fire, the cause of which is unknown, began in a staircase between A and B decks near the smoking room and spread with amazing rapidity through A deck destroying valuable pannelling, fittings and furniture in many rooms and smashing all windows and portholes on A deck. The ship has been undergoing an extensive overhaul at Sydney whence she returned on Saturday in readiness to resume the Tasmanian service on Monday. The fire in the early stages seemed likely to threaten the destruction of the ship. Fortunately a full crew was aboard and the fire was promptly attacked with fire extinguishers The city fire brigade was called and the flames were prevented from reaching below B deck. Two stewards working extinguishers on B deck had an alarming experience, when they were blown through an open door in the side of the ship by a discharge of compressed smoke and hot air from the confined space below. The force of the explosion threw them from the ship., to the wharf. • One theory of the cause of the outbreak is the fusing of electrical wiring. The Taroona is a new vessel, recently built for the Tasmanian 'service. She is owned by Tasmanian Steamships Ltd., the joint agents being the Union Company and Huddart Parker. Mr. Gray, manager of the Union Company, said to-day he did not think any structural damage had been done.