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Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 89, 15 April 1913, Page 8

The serious fire in the mail-Toom of the Canadian-Australasian mail steamer Makura, which occurred shortly after leaving Sydney last week, was fortunately extinguished before much damage was done. This lire calls attention to the frequent fires which occur on frozenmeat steamiers particularly. Most of these steamers have their refrigerated holds insulated with charcoal, a highly inflammable material. From June, 1910, :to March, 1913, less than three years, ten ifire3 have occurred on frozen-meat steamers trading to New Zealand and Australia. In one case, the Papanui was entirely destroyed, and the damage to the Turakina and cargo is stated to be £300,000. In the other eight fires great loss also took place. As a /result of the official inquiry held at Auckland into the fire on tlie Indradevi in 1910, the Nautical Court, in giving its decision as to the cause of the fire, stated:— '"' Whether or not this was the cause of the fire, tlie Court is of. opinion that so combustible a substance a3 charcoal should not be used for insulating the Qrolds foT ships." The " Australian Meat Trades Journal" of 18th March last has a strongly worded article, pointing out the danger of fire from charcoal insulation as used in frozen-meat steamers. All the New Zealand freezing companies and most of the Australian companies have thrown out charcoal as too dangerous a material to use, and have siibsti-' tuted a non-inflammable material. This is no new theory, and has been put before those interested on many previous occasions, but it appears as if only a great loss of life a-t sea will compel •the various steamship companies to cease using charcoal. As tlie whole exporting and importing public are interested in these fires, with their attendant great monetary losses and delays, it 5s from them that some decisive action must be looked for before «n,y, altera-Jtion-will itake pl—ce. „ 7 '