FIRES ON WOOL SHIPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13279, 11 September 1906, Page 6

FIRES ON WOOL SHIPS

[BY TELEGRAPH. —KRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Chkistchuecii, Monday At the Wool Fires Commission, Mr. John W. Webb stilted that he had been working among flax for the past 28 years. Flax if wet would rot, and all rotting was practically slow combustion. the effect of solar rays on wool would be considerable.

Captain Willis, in addition to his previous evidence, said that in many vessels electric light wires went under the shelter decks, which were steel. The wires were only slightly insulated, and if a return circuit carried With ' the other wire fusing might easily be caused through the wires being pressed by bales of wool or a package of cargo. That was a possible source of danger. He would suggest that the Commission. inspect some of the steamers. Wool was sometimes carried in insulated holds, and he had known of the insulation being saturated with moisture, and remaining in that condition throughout the voyage from New Zealand to England. In such a case the wool would suffer from damp, and great danger result. In some vessels the engineroom bulkhead was not insulated, and he had found the bulkhead very, warm. . ,'"','.■,,;