STORY AT INQUIRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24134, 28 November 1941, Page 9

STORY AT INQUIRY

OFFICER commended electrical system DUTIES OF AUTHORITIES The dramatic rescue of Mr. E. G. jJcWhirter. an employee of John Burns »nd Company, Limited, from a windowledge on the top floor of the fourgtorey premises in Customs Street during the fire on August 19, was told at e fourth day's sitting of the commission of inquiry yesterday. The fourth officer of the Auckland Fire; Brigade, Russell Preston, who efFeeted McWWrter's rescue while perilously perched on the top of a 30ft. ladder, recounted the incident. At the conclusion of his evidence, Mr F. K. Hunt, who is conducting the inquiry, and Mr. V. R. Meredith, +he assisting counsel, paid tribute to the officer's conduct' and courage. Condition of Fuse-Carrier Forbes Finlay Gilmore, chief electrical inspector "for the Fire UnderTrriters-' Association of New Zealand, said he inspected the burnt fuse-car-riers and plug-point after the fire. The point showed there, had been contact made between the point terminal and the box. He had discussed it with Campbell, who .said he had tried to pull out the broken pin with a pair of pliers. He then .said lie tried to force it out with a screwdriver and when witness indicated this was impracticable he-said lie had tried to push the pin out from the back. " The marks 011 the terminal and the box were consistent ■ffith a screwdriver having made the C °las clear from examination of the fuse-carrier that- it had caused the trouble, witness 'continued. Under normal conditions there should not h a te. been any ill results of Camphell's action in dealing with the point. There was a copper deposit showing that the fuse link had not been installed in accordance with the regulations. Mo Top Cover on Switchboard In reply to Mr. Hunt, witness saic the heat "caused by the sustained arc would be about 3000 degrees Centigrade. The arcing.caused by direct current was more vicious than alternat ing current and was made more so bj the proximity of,the premises to th< generating station at King's Wharf. "There are thousands of fuses whicl have blown repeatedly and becoim whollv or partially coated with a copper film from the burnt fuse wire," continued witness. "If the regulations are adhered to, electricity is the safest Kght and power in the world." He said the switchboard had no t-op cover- j jig as required by the regulations to j prevent draught spreading any fire. Mr. Hunt: If inspections had been made of the electrical installations "being made, would they have shown ap some of the'' defects you have mentioned? . ... , T , Witness: It is impossible to say. It is the duty of the supply authority to see that a switchboard is not deteriorating. One would expect there would be some supervision other than just locally where a man. was working. I would expect that to be done. Power Boards* Responsibility To Mr. North (for the Metropolitan 'Fire Board), witness said the fuses had not been in a condition to clear any fault in the svstem when the fire occurred. The object of the regulations was to place responsibility on power boards to see that existing systems did not become hazardous. In those inspections fay the difference between mnk- ' kg electricity safe and dangerous. He had not seen the switchboard before 4e fire. "John Burns' building has always been regarded as a dangerous fire risk end therefore should have been inspected," witness proceeded. It to not permitted by, the regulations that work should continue after the permit period expired. There could no " satisfactory inspection otherwise. It was the practice for fire brigades to send a flying squad with one engine to deal with switchboard fires. Thev were usually a job for chemical extinguishers." Point About Alarm System To Mr. Goldstine (for the Queensland Insurance Company), witness said his association permitted unregistered wireinen to deal with fire alarm svstem s when they approved of the men. Campbell had not been approved. Witness did not agree with Campbell s statement that, even had the fire alarm system not been disconnected from t!ne brigade, it would not have rung an alarm until the fire reached the stairway landing. In fact, he said, there was a detector point near the switchboard which would have functioned before the fire reached the stairwav. Questioned by Mr. Reed (for John Burns and Company), witness said amendments to the regulations were being prepared for gazetting. _ I hey woufl deal with increased protection ot switchboards. Under the existing regulations all electrical installations were • required to be inspected ©very five years. Inspection Obligations Mr. Terry (for the Auckland ElectricPower Board) asked witness what regulations he suggested had not been enforced. Witness said there had ■ apparently been no inspection of the j fuse caps. The supply authority had j 'failed in its duty not to have noticed the fuse-carrier before three venrs. It should have been inspected less than six months ago, when the work was going on , . . Witness quoted the -regulations, and said there was an obligation to inspect work before it was connected to the source of supply. He could not say how often the Power Board, should have inspected the work this year, as he was not aware of the amount of work going on. _ , . '"John Burns and Company had a right, to expect those circuits would be inspected before they were connected to the supply," witness said. "I know that the exhibits produced (fuse carriers) were not inspected. I am quite! satisfied that the casing round the | switchboard was not inspected, j donit j think it had ever been inspected. Die 1 responsibility is'on the supply authority | ana not the consumer. If the job is j too big for them. I suggest they hand it over to the Public Works Department." Visit to Fire Station To Mr. 1 (counsel for H. K. Brown and Company aud Mr. J. Campbell), witness said what Campbell had ! done had caused an abnormal load on a defective circuit, but Campbell was not to know the circuit was defective. The sitting was adjourned about noon *nd the commission and counsel inepected the Central Fire Station. Technical evidence regarding the regulations and the electrical installation procedure was given by Percy Harold (iwynn, Public Works Depaitrnent electrical engineer and registrai of licensed electrical wiremen. Brigade Officer's Evidence Russell Preston, fourth officer of the frre brigade at the central station, said he had 14 vcars' experience in his work. When the call was received he answered it with one engine and tten in addition to the driver, 'jhey would leave the station -within about *0 seconds nnd reach the fire within two minutes. He gave the order for two extinEutshers and the first-aid to be used and on entering the building saw fire circling above the switchboard and smoke and flames by the stairway. He gsv® orders for a hose to be run out. coupled up within a few seconds. Witness gaid he was surprised the ip ftold iijj&riu?© k&dtf i

"I received word that there were still people in the building," he continued. "I went outside and saw a ladder from the first machine was in position on the verandah. I went up on the verandah and sftw a sheet being held and saw two men jump into it from the second floor. "At this stage 1 looked up and saw MeWhirter standing on the window ledge o£ the top floor. A 30ft. ladder from the third machine was raised to the verandah and placed under MeWhirter and I proceeded up it to assist in getting him on to it. Mr. Hunt: What was the distance between the top of the ladder and MeWhirter ? Witness: Between four and five feet. Mr. Hunt: You deserve great credit for what you did. How did you get hold of the man? The Rescue Described "I stood on the second top rung and called for a rope with the idea of passing the rope round a, pillar and helping MeWhirter that way," witness replied. "I discarded the idea and then called to him to slide his hands down to the window ledge in a crouching position and lower his right foot. "I reached high up and got hold of his foot and guided it to a projection above a window. From that position I got his other foot and guided him to the top of the ladder. MeWhirter was prevented from jujnping into the sheet by an intervening verandah rod and he' might have hit it had he jumped." Mr. North: There was a lot of talk about- the big escape ladder not being available through undergoing repairs. Suppose it had been available and at the station could it have arrived at the fire in time to rescue MeWhirter? A Matter of Seconds Witness: I think we would have had MeWhirter down by the time it arrived. Its weight prevented it from travelling fast ana the time it took to erect depended on the overhead wires. The question of the rescue of MeWhirter was a matter of seconds. He would have been overcome by the smoke before the escape reached him. He appeared to collapse when we | got. him to the ladder and I had to hold his weight. He recovered enough to i come down the ladder to the verandah. When told that MeWhirter was the , last man in the building, said witness, ! he entered the building again. He found j the water pressure quite satisfactory. I i Mr. Meredith said he would like to ' say how much everyone concerned in \ ■ the inquiry appreciated Preston's • actions. He felt they should not go un- ■ noted and Preston had to be congratu- I ' lated on his accomplishment. 5 Mr. Hunt: It has to be highly commended. 1 The inquiry was adjourned until Mon- ' day morning.