Engineer Gives Evidence

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32007, 6 June 1969, Page 18

Engineer Gives Evidence

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) MELBOURNE, June 5. A production engineer yesterday told a Marine Court of Inquiry investigating the explosions which wrecked the survey ship Western Spruce that he had had no experience of liquid oxygen during his education in Switzerland. The engineer, Ivan Eugene Tuscher, is employed by the New Zealand company which replaced .'three valves on the liquid oxygen tank of the ship. The explosions killed three men at . Port Welshpool, Victoria, oh March 22. Giving evidence, Mr Tuscher said he had been asked to inspect and test the liquid oxygen tank installation on the Western Spruce when it

berthed in Wellington in January last year. “I was trained as an accountant in Switzerland before I went to New Zealand,” he said. “I had some experience with chemicals at school but none with liquid oxygen. “I began ,as a compressor hand with New Zealand Industrial Gases, Ltd, in 1961, and worked my way up to become a production engineer in January, 1967.”

Mr Tuscher said he was in charge of the firm’s maintenance department In January last year the production manager of the firm (Mr J. B. Taylor) had told him to inspect the tank installation aboard the West-ern-Spruce which -bad put in to port “because she was losing a lot of liquid oxygen,” Mr W. Kaye (for the Marine .Board): What exactly did you find wrong?

Mr Tuscher: The pressure relief valve was left open. The adjusting screw was hard down and the bursting disc had been ruptured and needed renewal. No explanation was .given of why the pressure valve was open. It should only be open when gas is being taken from the tank. We tested all three valves on- the tank—only the pressure relief valve was leaking, the other two were only weeping. ... 1 i Because the surveyors aboard, the vessel wanted to leave Wellington as quickly as possible and because there was only one;spare valve on the ship, he had suggested :that only the pressure valve be replaced,*'Mr Tuscher said.

Freezing Problem The seismic surveyors had wanted to' replace all the valves and so. a short-stem-med-type (used by New Zealand Industrial’Gases but liable to freeze more readily than others) 'had been installed in the filler and vent holes.

“I told the seismic man that we normally get out of the freezing problem by pouring, hot water over the valve to free it,” Mr Tuscher said. The area round the liquid

oxygen tank was littered with oil drums, packing cases, tins of paint and ship's stores and the deck under the control cabinet was covered in oil. “I asked the man in charge to clear the area and clean the oil off the deck because of the danger involved if any liquid oxygen escaped,” he said.

Mr Tuscher told the court that after fitting the valve he bad noticed gas escaping through its bonnet. He had repaired the leaking valve with solder. He said he had not mentioned this to any member of the crew. The inquiry is continuing.