BLAZE ON STEAMER

Taranaki Daily News, 2 January 1926, Page 11

BLAZE ON STEAMER

THE MANUKA NOT DAMAGED. LOSS LESS THAN EXPECTED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Dec. 31. Further details of the fire on the Manuka show that it was most difficult to deal with the outbreak in number two hold as a consignment of rubber tyres created dense black smoke. It is probable that the damage to the cargo will be small, except by water, smoke and steam. Captain W hybrow, his chief officer and the deputy fire superintendent, Mr. Salmon, took charge of the under-deck fire-fighting, and four leads of hose with special pumping plant reached the actual scat of the lire an hour after the alarm. Four valuable stud rams from Melbourne were smothered. They were insured for £BOO. They were shipped at Bluff to be transhipped at Wellington for the Argentine. The structural damage Io the vessel is practically nil. Several bales of flax were soaked by water and eases containing motors were charred but no damage was done to the vehicles. .The Manuka was expected to sail today. Over fifty passengers from Melbourne, booked for Wellington, were transferred to the Mararoa. which sailed this morning. Some Lyttelton passengers went by rail.

CREW PAID OFF. TRACKER OF PASSENGERS. Wellington. Dec. 31. The local office of the Union Company states that the Manuka is being paid off at Dunedin to-day to allow cleaning up. Passengers for Melbourne will transfer to the Moeraki, which leaves Wellington for Melbourne via Dunedin on Tuesday.