'Shanghai, May 31. r[REMENDOUS explosions tore and smashed the flaming sides of the Wooling Maru as she lay tied up alongside the China Merchants' Lower Wharf yesterday. One man was and another nously injured. "A third member of her crew, also believed to be Chinese, was still missing late last night. The ship burned fiercely for over six hours before she eventually, and suddenly, sank, almost drowning the Harbour Fire Brigade and Japanese fire fighters who still were on board fighting the flames, The s. Wooling Maru was loading petrol and small cartridges at_tho wharf. 'THe cause of the fire has yet be ascertained, but a few minutes: before 8 am. two large explosion® shook the ship and were" heard throughout a wide area all over Wayside, "'The second explosion ignited the hold into which the petrol. was being loaded; it Is estimated that about 4,000 cases were below at the: time, and flames were soon shooting] high' into the air, The Harbour Fire Brigade was not summoned until 725 am, when the refloat Huning immediately rushed {o the scene under the personal direc tion of Copt. W. J, German, Chief Fire Ameer of ' the Harbour Fire Brigade; the fireftoat Poochi was out of commission at the time, under going a routine cleaning of boilers.
On the arrival of the Huning, all available fire lines were put into} commission in an attempt' to. gain speedy control of the fire. These lines were augmented by hose lines from three Japanese naval tugs and Conte Rosso in Fog Mishap shanghai, May 31.
News was flashed from the Hoya Tviestino liner Conte Rosso, on May 29 at 930 pin. saying that the liner, had ran on the rocks of the Fisher~ man's Island, some 60 miles off the Woosung Pilot Station. The "North~ China Daily News" learnt from thoritative circles that at the time of the disaster the ship was drifting slowly in a deep fog, with her one gines' stopped, when she struck the 'The engines were started and after several hours' efforts she got off the yorks without any outside assistance, and proceeded under her own power, to the Pilot Station where she was expected yesterday in the afternoon. The vessel was on the way here from Trieste via the usual ports. having left Hongkong on Friday and was scheduled to make port yesterday at noon, berthing at the Shanghai Hongkew Wharf, Shanghai side, three motor fire pumps rushed to the scene by the Japanese authorities.
Stupendous Odds A dificult fight against seemingly: stupendous odds then began, the, flames surging fiercely from the hold and threatening to envelop the whole ina sheet of fire at any moment, Explosions were going off at" 10- mute intervals, almost with the re-Bularity of clock-work, blowing sections of the ship high into the air and increasing the danger to the firemen, The fire was no sooner under control than the Japanese authorities de-okied to move the Wooling Maru over to the Pootung side of the river and beach her there. This operation abled the flames to ain frm hold fence again and when the ship was in midstream her superstructure and top deck caught fire and were soon a mass of flames.
Under the instructions of Captain German, the fireloat followed the Wooling Maru across the river, but was not able to come to grips with the fire for some time, due to the huge tongues of tame belching from the ship's side. The Hut deck monitors and jets were brought, into diction and were successful. in extinguishing' the fire on the top feck. The fire-float was then able to set in closer and resume the attack on the hold.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.