GAS FATALITIES EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 124, 27 May 1915, Page 4

GAS FATALITIES EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST

AN EXPERT'S INVESTIGATIONS The inquest arising out of the deaths of five persons by gas-poisoning on 29th April last was continued before the Coroner (Mr. W. G. Bidden 1 , S.M.) after The Post went to press yesterday. Mr. P. Macassey appeared for the Crown, and Messrs. T. Neave and J. C. Peacock appeared for the Gas Company and for the relatives of the late James Robert Smith, respectively. Hans Hendricksen, an employee at the Courtenay-place yard, gave evidence regarding an abnormal pressure, and Thomas Ingerton, overseer, stated that at 7 o'clock everything was all right. George William Sparks stated that it was one of his duties . to keep an eye on the Courtenay-place holder. On the night of the 29th April the holder went down to 4 plates 12 rivets, so he rang up Miramar for more gas. An increased pressure— one of 40 inches — was put on. To Mr. Macassey : The gas holder was very low — abnormally so — but witness had seen it lower. The pressure— 4o inches — was not', exceedingly high considering the position of the holder. He couM not recollect 40 inches being put on at any previous time. He had known.the pressure to be 28 inches and 35 inches. To Mr. Peacock : Witness had seen the holder lower than it was on the 29th, but not very often. He had no control over the pressure put on at Miramar. Samuel Thomas Reed, engineman at Miramar works, stated that it was his duty to keep a supply of gas in accordance with information received from Wellington. On the night of the 29th April, when he came on duty at half-past 9, lie was working at 28 inches pressure. Later he received word that the holder -at Wellington was just over 4 plates. The pressure was raised to 34 inches. According to his information as to the state of the holder he gave no greater pressure than he thought was necessary. The pressure was not put On haphazardly, but after a certain amount of calculation. The pressure was gradually increased to 40 inches, but later instructions came to reduce the pressure to 6 inches. That was done immediately. Witness had absolutely no idea that the increase of pressnre -would cause the death of anybody. To Mr. Peacock : It was veiy unusual to put the pressure up to 40 inches at 10 o'clock at night. He had not done so before Uiis yeai\ Witness never received any special instructions as to what pressure he should put on. He always had to nso his own discretion. EXPERT EVIDENCE. Albert Ford, a consulting gas engineer with experience in various parts of the world, in no -way connected with the Wellington Gas Company, said that at the request of the managing director he made an independent investigation as to the cause of the fatalities. He had been occupied with the investigation practically since 4th May. The examinations had covered the city works, the holders, the valves, and the district governors. He had conducted tests for any defect in the city Avorke, and none had been discovered. The company had allowed him to call for any test he deemed advisable. He had a free hand. The company's plant and men had been at his •disposal. As a result of his investigation, he would say positively that tho defect was in the Onepu-road Bin governor. Witness desoribed the exhaustive nature of the tests made of the governor* at Chilka-street and Onepu-road. The Onepu-rood '.governor was found to be quite unreliable. The governor was a standard make— the class of instrument commonly used throughout the world. It was used on pressures from 40in to lOOin. The pressure reports from the Onepu governor did not indicate any irregularity previous to the mishap or afterwards, and it was only by actually removing and testing the governor that he -was able to discover the defect. As to the meters, witness did not think it was necessary to have a periodical inspection of the Battle to see if the mechanism, was working properly or not. The average life of a meter was 20 to 25 years, and during that time it might require attention twice or thrice To Mt. Peacock : Because only a proportion of the gas Consumers suffered an escape of gas, such did not indicate that their meters were defective. It depended on the size 6f the meter. The larger the meter the less likely was it to be affected by an increase of pressure. It was not usual for gas companies to test governors. They expected a standard article. If the governor had been accurate, a pressure of 60in Could have been pnt on at Miramar, and nothing would have happened in the city. That concluded the evidence-, but the enquiry was adjourned until 11.30 o'clock to-morrow morning, in order that a sworn statement could be made to the 6ffect that the engiheman, Reed, had a week's tuitJoh in hie work at Miramar