West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Saturday 22 October 1910, page 11


FIRE ON THE KOOMBANA. ---~-VESSEL REACHES PORT HEDLAND. THE JUNEE STANDING BY. Port Hedland, October 21. At 1 o'clock yesterday morning a fire broke out in the No. 1 hold of the steamer Koombana, when she was between Pore Hedland and Broome. The hatch was sealed down, and a patent fire extinguisher was brought into requisition. The pas. sengers awakened later in the morning to find smoke in the cabins and the ship at full speed for Port Hedland, where she arrived at noon. Portions of the vessel were very hot all day yesterday, and the No. 2 hold, which was full of smoke, was sealed down. The steamer Junce was to have left for Derby at to-day's tide, but the fire on the Koomb&an was not sufficiently under control to warant her departure. On the up trip the Koombana took in 68 bales of wool at. Shark's Bay, and this wool, it ;s considered, caused the fire. In the same hold as the wool was a lot of chaff for the ehep it was intended to ship at Carnaroea. The practice of shippin? wet wool at Nor'-West ports is said to oe becoming much too prevalent. Recently 20 bales were taken from Port Hedland, which had bheee out m four inches of rain.