cool store INQUIRY

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29046, 7 November 1959, Page 15

cool store INQUIRY

Corrosion On New Pipe

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, November 6.

The commission of inquiry into the King’s Wharf ammonia gas tragedy learned today that a new pipe, replacing the one that burst on September 3 killing two workment, had begun to rust at exactly the same spot as the old one had done.

An expert told how when examining the new pipe in the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company cool store, he found a peculiar patch of rust 15 to 18 inches long. “The rest of the pipe was quite clean but at this spot there was a patch of peculiar slightly greyish rust,” the expert. Dr. Graham Bell, told the commission.

Dr. Bell explained how he believed the rust had formed. “I am almost sure it was caused by some percolation of brine from above,” he said. He explained how chlorides in the brine were beginning a continuous cycle of corrosion on the pipe—as he believed they had done on the pipe that had burst.

Mr L. V. Haynes, counsel for the company, asked Dr. Bell if he knew the pipe he examined had been scraped and painted with rust preventive—everywhere but where he found the corrosion.

Dr. Bell said he did not. Although this would put a different light on his findings, it would not alter them in his opinion. A system of sirens would be installed at the store to warn workers of any emergency in the future, Williams James Syme, superintending engineer of the firm, told the commission. He said he did not know of any firm that carried out such a complete maintenance check as the one he proposed. Examinations of the pipes would still be made in the same old way but would be made much more frequently. The inquiry was adjourned at 1 p.m. and will resume next Tuesday morning. It is expected to last well into next week.