FIRE ON THE KAIKOURA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17012, 10 April 1923, Page 7

FIRE ON THE KAIKOURA.

CARGO WET AND CHARRED (Per Press Association - .) AUCKLAND, April 10. When the Kaikoura berthed at 11.30 last night, firemen ran a hose abroad .iiid the tarpaulins were lifted from the hatch. There was no outburst of flames. The topmost bales of wool have been saturated with water The obvious seat of the fire was the bottom of the hold. The removal of cargo be gan soon after midnight and at one o’clock the fire appeared to have been extinguished and the Fire Brigade returned to the station. The discharge of cargo was continue/ all night without any recurrence of V.ie The cargo in the hold affected comprise 5000 bales of wool and 190 casks of tallow. It is coming out in a very wet condition and some is badly charred. No. 4 hold, where the fire occurred, was full to the hatches Jt contained 500 bales of wool and 190 .casks of tallow. Ninety casks of tallow were loaded at Auckland on the previous visit. The remainder of the cargo in the hold was loaded at Timaru and Dunedin. It will not be known what damage has been done to the caro or the hull until all of No. 4 hatch has been discharged. This will certainly mean a considerable delay to the vessel before she can resume her voyage. READY TO FIGHT THE FIRE. 'Fhe sheil abreast of where the Kaikoura berthed at the- Queen’s Wharf was cleared earlier in the evening to receive the cargo. Two gangs of water side workers were ready to discharge it and the Harbour’s Board’s fire float was in attendance with leads of hoses to flood out the hold if necessary. She lay alongside the Kaikoura as soon as the liner berthed. On the wharf were two engines from the city fire station in readiness for service on shore. Engineers were in attendance to cut holes in the steamer’s side if the flooding of the hold were found to be necessary. DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE. How long the fire had been smouldering when it was discovered is not known. The engineer on watch had occasion to go into the tunnel at the bottom of the vessel, through which the propeller shaft passes, underneath and near No. 4 hatch. He noticed that the paint on the ironwork was blistering with heat. Shortly after he reported the matter, smoke was seen issuing from the hold through the ventilators on deck. The ship’s fire appliances were soon at- work pumping water into the hold through three | leads of hose. In addition a Clayton fire extinguisher was pumping sulphur fumes into the hold to smother the fire. After about twelve hours’ work the fire was got under control, but to prevent any draught fanning the fire into flames, the hatch was kept battened down and the ventilators covered At frequent intervals the temperature of the hold was tested. There was very little change until the Kaikoura arrived in the Rangitoto Channel, when large volumes of smoke issuing from the hatch showed that the fire was still alight.