INSURANCE DISPUTE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17498, 19 June 1931, Page 7

INSURANCE DISPUTE

WAIROA MEAT CO.’S CLAIM DESTRUCTION OF WORKS ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION • i ‘ The hearing of the insurance claim arising out of the destruction of the Wairoa freezing works by fire on February o was continued with undiminislied public interest before llis Honor ifr. Justice Blair in the Supreme Court this morning, when further evidence in support of the ease for the plaintiffs was called. The action was that in which the Wairoa Farmers’ Co-opera-tive Meat Co., Ltd., and the Bank ot New Zealand claimed from the Zeatond Insurance Co. and the Eagle Star and British Dominions Insurance Co. a total of £77,850 to cover the damage to the works. The plaintiffs are represented by Mr. Harold Johnston, K.C., of Wellington, Mr. L. T. Barnard, of Gisborne, and Mr. Lloyd Wilson, ot AN ellington, instructed by Mr. C. > • Chamberlain, of Wairoa, and the defendants are represented by Mr. A. Gtay, K.C., of Wellington, and Messrs. H. 1 • Richmond and A. H. Johnstone of Auckland, instructed by Messrs Buddie, , Richmond, and Buddie. When the court resumed this morning, Charles J. P. Drewitt, engineer 1 to the Wairoa Power Board, continued his evidence in chief. He stated that he rescued the maxigraph instruments and records from the the. There was a mechanical chart driven by the meter and the effect was exactly the same as a speedometer, a record being left of exactly what had happened. Each division on the chart represented 50 kilowatt hours, recorded half-hourly at per hour. When witness secured the record he could tell that there was no extraordinary loss of temperature. The graph showed that the time to reach the temperatures was normal, and it took less energy to maintain the temperature than before the earthquake, that being accounted for by the fact, that before the earthquake they were putting in unfrozen meat. The buildings were in such a state that they were holding the temperatures. The record showed that later the small freezing machine was put in, and the record for that was identical with the record before the earthquake, showing that the machine was normal, and that nothing had happened to it. The time was shown when the energy was cut off on the night of the tire. His Honor: If there were a short in the system sufficient to cause a fire, would that be shown? Witness: If there was an arcing short sufficient to create danger of fire it would be recorded on the graph. Continuing, witness stated that the smaller freezing machine was used to hold the temperature down, the big machine being used to lower the temperature. The record showed that the small machine was in normal running. There was normal consumption of current before and after the earthquake: an abnormal condition in the system would have given an abnormal record on the graph.

Mr. H. F. Johnston:. Cannot you carry it further by saying the building must have been tight? Witness: There could have been no abnormal ingress of the outside atmosphere. Had there been it would have taken longer to obtain the temperature. The graph does not show that?— It was exactly as before. You know the steam engines in the works, and the stack? —Yes. There was about 15ft of the stack left. What is your opinion as to the possibility of getting up steam power?If I required to raise steam I would have found a convenient position to put a fan, and would have bought or borrowed a petrol engine to drive the fan. There would be no difficulty then in getting enough steam to drive the small machine. The only thing that would have held it up would have been the time taken, say, 48 hours. You could then hold the temperature.

Cross-examined by Mr. A. H. Johnstone, witness stated that he had acted as a consultant to the company, there ■being no electrician on the works. He went to the works when he could, and there were jieriods of two or three weeks when ho was not required Air Johnstone : There was no one there to attend to any defects? Witness: There was an .electrician at the sub-station.

You have a big distance to cover?— Yes.

And you are in sole charge of the dis trict? —Yes.

If you were busy before the earthquake you must have been exceedingly busy after it?—Yes. On the day of the earthquake you were unable to get to the freezer until about 6.30? —Yes.

You came in by the eastern side; did you observe notices?—No; I came in by the railway line. You did observe a notice later.? —Yes. And you are aware it was a notice of warning!—lt might have been anything. I knew it did not apply to me. and I did not bother about it.

You have gone there from time to time to make good defects? —Yes. Did you take a team with you?—Yes. The system of wiring was a poor one, electrically speaking?—Originally, yes; but it has been improved, and before (be earthquake would have passed the Underwriters’ Association.

1 suggest it was never a satisfactory installation? —No; I would not agree.

Were any wires altered in A, 15, or C chambers? —New wires were run in on occasion.

Was the main wire from the dynamo ever renewed ?—No; it was not necessary. The wires in the chambers were not in tubes? —No; only tlie entrance wires. The sole insulation was llie cover of rubber and braiding?—Yes. Those wires are necessarily fairly tightly stretched?—Yes. What is the gauge?—One-eighteenth. These copper wires will stretch to a considerable extent?—Soft-drawn wire, yes. And some of these were soft-drawn? — Yes.

Stretching decreases the diameter of the wire? —Yes.

And at one stage it will break?—Yes. The recording instruments indicate nothing more than the pressure passing into the works?—No; they indicate pressure and volume.

1 suggest it is a device intended to enable the supplying authority to calculate its accounts?—There are many other purposes; it tells us of any defects in the system.

Is there anything to indicate that in the prospectus of the instrument?—No, but our own electrical knowledge tells us.

So long as the pressure and volume are recorded there is nothing else shown except what can bo drawn from inference? —No; I would not say that.

There is no way in which that record will show temperatures in the freezing chambers? —Certainly not.

Bis Honor: The graph would show you whether more or less “juice” was used, and the rest would be based on deductions? Witness. That is so. His Honor: Your records show perfect normality right throughout. Mr. Johnstone: If a wire stretches anl the diameter is decreased and the power is si ill turned on what happens? Witness: Nothing, unless it is stretched to breaking point. I suggest heat is set up in the wire as soon as the load becomes too great for the diameter? —Not exactly in a case of this description. The carrying capacity of an 18-gauge wire is seven amps, and it would have to go up to ;;i; to allVct the insulation. The wire would have to be reduced to so small a diameter that it would be .impossible to stretch it that far without breaking it. His Honor: If you reduce it to a verv line piece of wire it would fuse? —Yes.

You say that in the stretching the wire would break before it burnt? — No.

Mr. Johnstone: As soon as you reduce the diameter of the wire heat is generated?—ln some cases. I’ve never seen a case like that. Is there any recording instrument that you know of that would record arcing in the return wire? —No; and I don’t, know of any return wire that would arc.

Will a fuse blow where arcing takes place on a return wire?—lt is practically impossible fot a return wire to arc.

Assuming it did?—lt might fuse and it might not. Have you over been in C store? — Not for about four years.

When were you in the others? —In November.

You wore not in after the earth quake ?—No.

And you cannot speak positively as to the condition of the wiring after the earthquake?—No. Can you suggest' anything more likely to create’the fire in the cliamb«r than the electrical installation? — I’m not an expert on those matters Could you not venture an opinion?— Opinions are dangerous things. fan vou suggest any source of fire mart, from human intervention other than the electrical installation? —No. M's Honor: Rats do not like freezing chambers, 1 take it. Rats are getting unfashionable as far as fires are concerned.

Mr. Johnstone: Fires of electrical origin are not uncommon? —They are most Uncommon.

I Fires are more likely with wires ! miked but for the ordinary insulation? —They are more likely in a conduit system, where the wires are together and can arc across.

Do you know whether any attempt was made to get up steam? —I’m not qualified to answer that. Had some of the steam machinery been converted for use with electrical power ?—Yes: one-half. I That part which had been converted could not be used with steam power?— Oh, yes. All the parts were there, and it would only be a matter of putting them back.

Mr. 11. F. Johnston: If Waiknremoana were put out of action, could power have been obtained from tiny other source?

| Witness: Yes. There is a duplicate line from Waikaremoan t running fight down to Wellington. There are' many combinations, and 1 cannot conceive any situation arising under which any of the consumers mi this line could not. have been supplied with power within about 12 hours.

James Brownlie, shoepfarmer in the Wairoa district, stated that he had sheep in the meat works, and went down to look at the works after the earthquake, to see if they-had been damaged to the extent of the meat perishing. He came away with the idea that the works were quite safe. There was very little damage to be seen with the- exception of the collapse of the chimney and minor falls of bricks. Witness remained at the works for about an hour, and was there when the power came on and the engines were restarted. Work seemed to be going on as usual, with the exception of the killing board, and be noticed no general state of excitement amongst the employees, or any general state of disorganisation amongst thorn. Witness was in Wairoa the morning of the fire, and noticed no general state of excitement, and disorganisation amongst the population. In reply to Mr. Gray, witness said he was not a shareholder in the company. His concern was to see whether liis meat was damaged, having heard that damage had been done in Wairoa by the earthq-ake.