The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-04-08
FIRE CUTS BARK
S, c. ALLEN ON WAYS
tFrom sunday Advsrtiserl

AIIOHl SUNNY AuN NEtlheIl
Fire, the origin Of whitn-Is unknown,
practically Quilted the hard. ). c. Allen
on the Intcr-Island marine ways last
night. From nine-twenty O'Clock until
long after midnihht the entire FIRE de-
partment of Honolulu battled to check
the flames. Adding TO the difficulty, the
flames reached a large supply of oil and
paints stored in the lazaIet OF the YES.
sci and for n time it was feared it
would be necessary to slide the vessel
from the ways and sink il in the har.
Dor.
Shortly after midnight however, it
was believed the fire was under control.
The damage to the vessel could not be
estimated last night, but it is believed
that it will exceed $4,000 covered only
slightly by insurance.
Spontaneous combustion is given as
one of the probable causes of the fire
Another theory is that the blaze start
ed from an exploding lamp in one Of
the cabins. The blaze was discovered
by marine corps sentry stationed
nearby. He at once turned in the alarm
and within a few minutes Chief Thurs
ton had four streams fof water playing
on the flames, which by that time had
spread to the rigging, lighting up tine
entire waterfront and presenting spec
,acular sight to- the hundreds who ga
thcred to witness the vessel burn.
The bark had Just been taken on TO
the ways yesterday Afternoon >repara-
tory TO a general Overhauling
Poor Water Pressure.
Lack of water pressure in the city
mains and the necessity for setting all
the FIRE engines 1T work pumping water
directly from the harbor through long
lines of hose, caused some delay in the
fight to prevent the flames from get
tine beyond control. Unfortunately no
help could be given by vessels in the
harbor> as the naval tug Navajo was
lunpreparcd, and the tug Intrepid is still
laid up. The United States lighthouse
tender Kukui could have steamed out
| into the harbor but she would be IN
available on account of her deep
draught which would have compelled
| her to stand too far Off from the cradle.
| The apparatus from central station
responded promptly. The race Of the
auto and horse trucks down Alakea
| strees was one of the spectacular Incl
| dents. The auto reached the marine
railway first. The gates were quickly
opened and line of hose carried to the
cradle. Heavy working ladders lying
/ against the cradle uprights were swung
| over to the side of the, vessel and up
these the fremen crawled carrying the
heavy hose. Then another Line was
brought through the yard. the firemen
being aided by police and special Off
GERS.
General Alarm Sent In.
After the lines were up on deck the
| force Of water was found too feeble to
| make much. impression on the flames
Chief ThuTston, early on the job, sent
the engines to the naval wharf and with
| Assistant Chief Blasdeil connected uI
the long lines as soon as the apparatus
of the Palama and Malliki stations ar
rived with additional hose, general
alarm having been turned in. -Four
lines of hose were placed in commission
and when the engines were started the
force of water was sufficient to make
headway and contine the blaze between
decks.
Before this was accomplished the
after deck railing around the poop deck
WAS DuIncu away anu lHc JdNoD lid
der dropped to the staging under the
keel, while strands of burning ropes fel
over the sides. The flames roared a:
if from furnace in the section occu
pied by the officers cabins and dining
room. The doors were closed and lock
ed, in the effort to smother the flames
Oil Adds to Fury.
1t was learned that large quantity
of paints, oils, oalium and other highly
nfamable materials stored in the laza
ret had been added to only the day be
fore and this new menace to the ship ;!
safety made the situation grave. Th'
lazaret was soon in flames. The oil
ignited and shot flames high up through
the burnt skylight.
Superintendent Sheedy of the Inter
Island Company soon reached the vesse
and, with Samuel Lyle of the ship
wright S force, decided to get up steam
in the windlass boilers ashore so tina
if the flames got beyond control tn
cradle could be slid back into the har
Dor, the ship fioated out and othe
steamers in the harbor laid alongside t,
pour sea water into the vessel. The en-
|, gineers were in readiness to start tn
windlass, but this method was not re
/, quired.
At midnight the situation aboard wa
still serious as the flames continued t.
roar in the confined space and more hos
was ordered in. But Chief Thurstpl
then stated that there would be no nee
to drop the bark into the harbor am
that he would be able to gradual