FIRES ON SHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 24, 23 October 1907, Page 11

FIRES ON SHIPS.

MATCHES AMONG, CARGO!

AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION.

.; What'causes fires amongst slips , cargo is a problem that' has long puzzled '. exports and laymen alike., Eyery.-precaution is-.taken as a rule, but still fires toeak out, and not oven: scientists or Royal Commissions can formulatea really convincing theory.; i,' '','■'*' ..

: In,,some .'cases, however, the explanation seems quite simple. An instance was given on f Monday : during the magisterial inquiry into'the cause "of the Turakina fire.. ■

"Mr. Myers (wjip'jappeared',for.'the''Maririo' .Department).put.in';ajletterjwliich had ; been wrjtten to tho Department by Mr. Kinsoy, acting-general manager-'of tho New Zealand' Shipping ~ Company,: on 'Octobor 17. . Tho letter; was as follows; i—.. -~,., ~ ...... ...

..:■:" Some monthsago, before tho Royal Commission on the'- , causes of'fire on board ships had finished their,inquiries, I, forwarded tho chairman, information received-from I London, as to:finding wax matches,of colonial make amongst cargo'froth New Zealand during the 'discharge'of'two of'our steamers iii London. I have now/received advice ..that ,bn .board the s.s. ,Kaipara wax matches ,wero found in No! 5 hold among 'cargo loaded at the tho Bluff. 'Captain 'Cornwall,'commander of the steamer, ■. is ;of opinion that these matches dropped from the stevedores' coats when they ■wore thrown down-in the hold. ■ I ; think it only right: that your Department should' re.ceiyo\every information,which it.is in pur power to.give concerning the origin of .fires on steamers, inorderithat some steps should bei taken"to l minimise.the risk." ' . ■'' '■

■, : Mr. Johnston" (Dnibrt S.S. Company.) sug-. gested, that' it might. lie desirablo . to' make tests ,to ascertain .whether,--.if matphes were ignited insido a bale, they would sot fire, to the flax. The GovernmcntElcctrician had informed him in conversation that, supposing matches were stowed away between bales, and were then ignited by electricity, they would not set fire to tho' flax; the lack of air would put the matches out immediately.

- Dr. MiArthur; said thoro' was no necessity to go. into that mattor; they-were satisfied that if a match inside a,bale ignited it would be .extinguished by .'lack, of.'. air... .What., the! Court had in-mind more particularly was'the case of stray matches that -may drop outside the bales and'becomo ignited. ■■

.. Mr. Johnston said reference was made.moro particularly".,to matches that . might oe dropped-between the bales, not inside. ■■'' ■ i

Mr. Myers remarked that there was not a lack of air.'between the bales, as they , were not wedged tightly'together., : • ■ . ;

The discussion then dropped,