The Star. TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1906. FIRES ON WOOL SHIPS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LI, Issue 9138, 10 July 1906, Page 4

The Star.

TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1906. FIRES ON WOOL SHIPS.

Delivered every evening by 6 o'olook in Hawera Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna; Opunake, Otakeho. Jfturatahi, Alton, HorleyviUe, Pate*, and Waverley.

The appointment of a. Royal Commission to enquire into the recent fines on wool ships wiH perhaps result in fixing the responsibility for shipping the wool "in such a condition as to be liable to spontaneous combustion." According to the Premier this is the principal object tho Commission will have in view. An authority says that the series of disasters by fire at sea, Wfiioh has recently occurred in the carriage of -wool from Wellington to London is unique in the. history of the carrying tirade. The sailing vessel Pitcairn Island left on March 9, and was burnt off the-- coast of Chili. The steamers Perthshire and Waimate left on April 21, and the steamer Gothic three days later ; and on all three fix© broke out, doing a considerable amount of damage, (she Gothic suffering most. In the case of the Pitcairn Island, the Couirt of Enquiry has found that the fire originated from the spontaneous combustion of the wool oni board. A fifth fire is reported as having taken place in London Docks on the steamer Rimutaka, which left WelI lington on May 10. It is well known that wool, like other textile fibres, if stored or stowed in too wet a condition, is liable to fermentation, which may end in spontaneous combustion. Under normal ciroum stances wool contains <a considerable proportion of moisture, and under unfavorable circumstances the proportion may be very large. It is pretty certain that the frequency of outbreaks of fire in wool car-

goes from Wellington has been due to the fact that, the recent New Zealand summer ■was "wet and cold. Wool had evidently bc-ien received for shipment in an unusually damp -condition. Of -coui6e, it may be thought that it should have beoA thoroughly dried ; bnt scientific experts tell us tha.t artificial drying, unless watched with extreme- carej may depreciate the intrinsic good qualities of the fibre. Yet, on the other hand, if wool is allowed' to remain closely packed in a wet condition, the consequent heating is also hurtful. It must have been difficult, considering the , humid character of the New Zealand season, to know what to do for the best, and the problem has evidently been left to j solve itself by the shipment of the wool in the state in which it arrived at tihe ( port. Probably, however, more ca<ra would hare been exercised had the wool been shipped under the surveillance of surveyors representing the insurance underwriters. Pormeriy two or three very competent, surveyors weTe employed at J New Zealand_ ports, but owing to some of the underwriting parties refusing to char« in the expense, their services were dispensed with. At Australian ports the eurreyors representing the Marine Underwriters' Association render excellent seTvice, for it is their duty to see that the greatest precautions are taken to protect the interests cf their employer — whose interests are of a special character — and thai means the protection of the travelling public. It may be remarked that the risk of total destruction by fire is nowadays much minimised in the case of krge steamers, on board which danger can be coped with promptly. Then the aTt of fire extinguishment 'has made great progress, and the invention of the chemiica! extinguisher has already proved itself "of great value. The damage on the Waimate, owing to the use of this appliance, was very small. The four serious casualties that have happened will no doubt lead to greater watchfulness being exercised by oill .concerned in the shipment of wool and in the insurance of wool cargoes and the vesseiLs carrying them ; and it will be recognised that in seasons of excessive humidity particular pains must be taken to

prevent loss of property and possible loss

of life. The lialrility of shippers in respect to wet wool is established by statute, but the law has not yet been tested by a trial in the law courts. That trial, however, appears to be a likely contingency if (he Commission, in the words of the Hon. Hall- Jones, "sheets home the responsibility."