Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Monday 4 August 1919, page 5


THE S.S. WAUCHOPE

DESTROYED

.' REACHED IN FLAMES AT

PORTSEA.

ALL PASSENGERS SAVED.

THRILLING SCENES

MELBOURNE, August 3..

As the result of an outbreak of fire in a forward hatch the b s Wauchope a. small vessel well known in the insimulan Uncle which was lying in quarantine off Pol sea prior to her boy age to king Island via Launceston y\ is totally destroyed on Finlay night, together with her cargo the passengers had to be

run sailors His vessels boat-,

The alarm was given at half-past 8 o'clock by the donkey man who noticed smoke issuing from the ventilators the forward hatch was immediately removed in" 1915 seen that the fire had a Sand Hotel There was a consignment of ben zine in the hold, and no time was lost in getting the hose low tide while at the same time the crew began to remove the cases of benzine his men soon lead the greater part of them overboard and also removed to the lifted out of the vessel some barrels of oil from the first aid decK It was seen that the ship she is could not cope with the hoe and the whistle was blown for assistance toe cap tam 01 dering the ships boats to be educated

and to lay by alongside The first

boat to answer the call was one from the Hall C une a small steamer which are now lying in quarantine and the women and children met stories of the male adult passengers were immediately put aboard one of the wauchope s boats and lowed to the shore about a mile distant The tug Float which supplies the quarantine! station with water and had been anchored about half a mile away was now seen to be making to wards the burning vessel. The quinn time launch Nepean whose crew had to be collected called almost simultaneously and took ashore the remainder of the passengers The Play pi lay along side the Wauchope and in a few minutes show is pumping streams of water into the burning hold At one time it was thought that the fire was under control but it had too firm a bold and evenly ally Captain Bennett decided to beach the vessel and thus obviate any post bility of blocking the fairway through her sinking where she was anchored The cable was slipped and the Wauchope moved towards the shore under her care steam and ran aground about 200 yards on the Sorrento side of the quarantine jetty the Player again came alongside and continued pumping water on the flames and the officers and crew of the Wauchope were still unceasingly on devouring to save their ship -At this stage there was an element of great danger to the fire fighters Stowed away on the port side of the forward deck and half covered by some heavy parts of machinery nero 28 cylinders of compressed neatly done gas intended for the lump Island lighthouses with a pressure of 200 to the square inch and weighing about two and a. quarter cut each Owing to the heat and smoke and their weight it was impossible in the time available to remove them to a safe place. It was known that once the cylinders became heated they would explode and fire fighters and spectators alike were expect ing an explosion at any minute For

tunately however the cylinders resisted the increased pressure until after the vessel had been abandoned Soon after midnight the impossibility of but ing the Wauchope was realised The crew was, ordered ashore and the Plpvci cast off and i attuned to her anchorage The for ward portion of the vessel was now a blazing" mass but the captain's cabin and the wheelhouse were still standing and Captain Bennett returned to the vessel at some ne! to save some of his properly He was unfortunate in losing his compass and instruments The- captain, had not long returned to the pier when there was a tremendous explosion due to the burning of one of the (gas cylinder', The explosion was preceded by a. bril

limit white flashlight which lit up the euirtoiindiiigs for miles round and was followed by a huge ian colonies! ball of flame and smoke thrown into the air to a height of 100 to 50ft and scattering, debris all around the vessel One large piece of wreckage was thrown all over the jetty and r matter pieces fell on (the jetty itself Other cylinders also ox plotted it irregular intervals and each time the boy was lit up by a dazzling white light the stiiioiiiiding ships. standing out boldly genius the dark back ground of say and water is about Sam the last and largest explosion oc-ear red "-honoring the four men of the Wauchope and scattering, wreckage all around the vessel was now a glowing miss the flames leaping, high into the air and dense black mot e comes. from the funnel the force of the ia, plosion s hid Miidunllj driven the Wauchope into deeper a tea, and at 5 a m hesitated to lift with the tide towards Sorrento burning fiercely Fortunately the vessel was hugging the whole and thus not an dangering the vessels anchored in her vicinity The W The hope went aground again on the Portsea life of the Sorrento Pier and is lying on a sand bank about 200 yards from the shore her funnel still standing and her masts and top "end all destroyed She was still burning, at 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon

The passengers and crew were never so elated at the quarantine station and on Saturday afternoon at 4 JO, the tug Falcon arrived and took them back to Melbourne arriving there about 810 By the courtesy of the quarantine officals passengers were permitted to send the grass to their relatives early on Saturday morning The passengers were very fortunate in regard to their luggage as only one or two of them suffered slight loss s the rest of the baggage was safely landed along with all the bedding and some of the Wauchope s fittings \

The fire occurred on the fourth day of the vessel's quarantine, and who was due to leave on Tuesday next Her paseen,, Us if they are lucky enough to get an other vessel will have to commence afresh then seven days' quarantine The returned King Island soldiers were great ly disappointed it this further delay in reaching their homes after four events at service Every effort will be made to provide another vessel to carry out the cup that the Wauchope was to have made

LAUNCESTON, August 9

The Wauchope was in command of Cap lain E Bennett She was a wooden vefoI of 260 tons built in New South Wales and was purchased by Messrs Holyman and Sons Ltd about six years ago for the cattle trade between "King Island and Tasmania She had on heard about 100 tons of general cargo for Linn ceston and also a, large quantity of goods for King Island The vessel was only partly insured and the firm estimate the loss at between 3000 and £1 000 The owners will endeavour to replace the vessel as soon as possible but at the present time they are unable to make an announcement as to what steamers will be put in the trade