FIRE ON OPIHI.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 15 June 1926, Page 6

FIRE ON OPIHI.

OUTBREAK AT SEA. By Telegraph—Press Association NEW PLYMOUTH, June 14. Tho steamer Opihi has arrived from Nelson with a fife on' board. The fife on the Opihi was discovered at about 8 a.m., when the vessel was oft' Cape Egmont. Proceeding at full speed, she made for port, and oh arrival the vessel was berthed at Moturoa wharf. The Fire Brigade was called, and hatches were lifted, and emergency gangs put on to discharge the cargo of 900 tons of general. Whitish smoke and the smell of roasted potatoes came from tho hold, apparently between the hatches of Nos. 2 and 3, oh the .starboard side. . • •' About one o’clock flames were seen issuing from some timber. The Fire Brigade turned the hose on and subdued them. . The work of discharging the cargo is proceeding interruptedly, hut the actual seat of the lire ■ has not yet been reached. _ The outbreak apparently originated in Dunedin cargo, which included matches. The fire broke out when the vessel was about an hour and a half's steaming time from New Plymouth, and she arrived off the port with smoke issuing freely from No. 2 hold. Fearing that the port authorities had decided not to berth her owing to the unusually rough Neither prevailing, Captain Fish signalled at once: “Fire in hold,” and the vessel came alongside Moturoa wharf ' immediately. Water from the whiff mains was poured into her at once by the ship’s officers and crew and watersiders, the Fire Brigade sup--1 plementing their efforts later. Throughout the afternoon special ' gangs toiled assiduously in unloading the smouldering cargo, hoses being used at the game time. ' By 8.30 to-night the fire was com- • pletely subdued, and all damaged ' cargo removed. The cause of the outbreak is uns known. At first it was attributed to > lime cargo at the bottom of the hold, i but this afterwards was disproved. The Opihi.had 1000 tons of southern - general cargo for New Plymouth, l and 320 tons for Nelson. Only 100 - tons of New; Plymouth cargo was ■ l burnt or damaged, and 200 tons of Nelson cargo in holds other than. 3 No. 2 was not damaged, and the ship . ) was not effected by the fire. The men had a strenuous time during unloading. Immediately the ; hatches were lifted, dense clouds of - smoke emerged, .which made the 1 work extremely difficult. With the i use of hoses, up came dense volumes i of steam, which made matters more uncomfortable. ■ The steam gradu- £ ally dispelled, exposing delapidated b sacks of flour, bran and wheat, t many of Which had burst open, t ’ Shortly after one o’clock much of the s burnt cargo was revealed. Soon men s were toiling in masses of bran, 3 flour, wheat' and roasted potatoes. •- By seven o’clock little smoke issued 4 forth, and by that time it was ne : cessary to shovel the cargo into baskk ets, each basket carrying a saturated s mixture ol’ salt, flour and lime. At n • 7.30 the workers were at the seat of a the fire, and operations ceased soon after.