MILL FIRE INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 232, 28 June 1935, Page 12

MILL FIRE INQUIRY

Evidence For Railways Department ABOUT SPARK ARRESTERS By 'l'elegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, June 27. Tlie first, evidence on behalf of the Railways Department concerning the lire which destroyed the buildings and plant of the Morningside Timber Company Limited on December 1 was given at the inquiry into the outbreak, which was resumed to-day. The proceedings are being held at the instance of the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board, on behalf of which evidence lias beeu called indicating that the outbreak was caused'by a spark from a passing locomotive. W. L. Wilson, superintendent of the metropolitan fire brigades, produced a report showing thflt from November 1, 1934, until January 31, 1935, 20 fires had occurred near railway lines for which no cause co'tikl bo given. Of these, 13 had been outbreaks in grass. Stating he would call expert, evidence on the various aspects involved, Mr. Meredith, for the Railways Department, emphasised that when a grass fire occurred near a railway line following the'passing of an engine it was a natural assumption that the engine had caused the outbreak. This, however, could easily be a totally wrong conclusion. It was an accepted engineering fact that the spark risk could not be removed entirely, and it was purely a question of eliminating the risk as much as possible. Referring to the outbreak at the mill, Mr. Meredith claimed there was a definite possibility of someone dropping a cigarette butt on the property.

Percy Angus, locomotive superintendent for the Railways Department, said £41,060 had been expended in the last few years in experimenting with spark arresters and fitting them to engines. Exhaustive tests had been made by the Railways Department and a new device known as the Waikato arrester bad been evolved. The engine which passed the mill before the outbreak was equipped with a grid arrester, a type used in other parts of the world. The hearing was adjourned.