LOSS OF THE TAINUI.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16681, 2 March 1920, Page 7

LOSS OF THE TAINUI.

FURTHER EVIDENCE HEARD. ’ Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Match 2 The Tainui case was resumed this morning when further evidence for the defence was'heard in the case in which Frederick John Needham, shipping manager, and Claude Smellie, shipping clerk to the New Zealand Refrigerating Co., are charged with negligence. Archibald Walker, surveyor of ships for Lloyd’s at Wellington, said ho did not think it possible that the disaster had been caused by an explosion in tire stokehold. Ho had given tho matter careful consideration, and had come to the conclusion that the origin of the explosion must Imre been oh deck. Cross-examin’d, ho said he know_the benzine cargo put aboard the Tainui was bud. If the shipping clerk saw the condition of the cargo ho would expect him to notify his office, but not to interface with the loading of tho ship. Alistcr M'Lean Wright,- chemist to the New Zealand Refrigerating Co,, gave details of experiments ho hod made to test tho absorbent qualities of kauri and other timbers with regard to benzine, and also to testing the explosive qualities of benzine. He concluded that tho explosion hud been caused by a naked light being thrown on dock. Gerald Fitzgerald, engineer, Wellington. also expressed the opinion that the explosion occurred on deck.