THE BURNING OF THE ‘AOTEA.’

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIX, Issue VIII, 14 August 1897, Page 239

THE BURNING OF THE ‘AOTEA.’

OUR illustration represents the schooner ‘ Aotea ’on fire at Tokomaru Bay, forty-five miles from Gisborne, on the 3rd inst. The vessel is a fore and aft schooner of 89 39 tons register, and carries an auxiliary oil engine. About 330 a.m. on the 3rd the Captain was aroused by dense smoke proceeding from the engineroom. It was evident that the ship was on fire. The crew at once rushed on deck, and procuring bnckets, commenced to throw water down the ventilators. It was quite impossible to get into the cabin for the smoke. At midday on the same day the crew were still bard at work, but the fire, which had got a strong hold nnder the saloon, was burning fiercely. About that time the men were relieved by a body of men from Tokomaru Station. At five o’clock in the afternoon the fire was spreading through tbe saloon, and had got into the hold. The fight with the flames continued, but gradually the workers got the upper hand of tbe fire, and at 9.30 on the following day the fire was completely extinguished. The Captain and crew were, however, completely prostrated, having battled for twenty-eight hours continuously with the conflagration. Tne vessel is severely damaged, the actual injury being estimated at about Zi.ooo,