AN UNFORTUNATE VESSEL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15977, 20 November 1919, Page 10

AN UNFORTUNATE VESSEL.

FIRE ON. THE WESTMORELAND

(Per United Press Association.)

TIMARU, October 19

At a quarter past midnight a fire was ■discovered in the starboard side of No. 3 hold of the steamer W'estmorelandu which is lying at No. 3 wharf loading frozen meat for Home. The vessel was due to sail to-day. The vesel touched ground or. the voyage from the Bluff to Dunedin in May last, and until last week was lying in Port Chalmers undergoing extensive repairs. The ship was loaded with 50,000 carcases of meat here. The fire was amongst the flax loaded at Port Chalmers. The ship’s engines soon got to work, and it was found necessary to call the borough brigade too. Hoses were soon playing on the flames, one through a hole cut .in the deck plates, and the other through a door leading to the hold. By 7 o’clock the outbreak was suppressed the flax is still smouldering. The brigades are standing by in the meantime.

The cargo of flax will be discharged as soon as possible, also the consignment of wool in Hie adjoining hold, which will require 'to be re-examined.

The outbreak will cause tho steamer to be detained, here till Saturday or Monday.

As far as can be ascertained the steamer has sustained no serious structural damage, and meantime the meatloading operations are being continued. The vessel’s itinerary is not likely to be seriously interrupted.