NAUTICAL COURT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14239, 4 July 1910, Page 5

NAUTICAL COURT.

FIRE ON THE INDRADEYI. Per Press -Association. . AUCKLAND, Julv 2. J. he xNauticai Court consisting " 0 f Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., Professor" F .D. Brown, and Captain H. G. Reid' opened, die enquiry into the cause of the fare on the steamer Indradevi on June Mr Wetherill. surveyor, expressed the opinion that the fire originated board 6 sST" f ° rn ' ard ° n ' StaT ' Captain Wilkie stated that the Indradevi commenced discluwyrinn- on the mormne of June 21st from numbers 1 and 4 holds. There was no of lire ao 11 pm . The cargo in No. 1 bold tween decks was not- touched that r y r* 11 ~ tw9en decks-were completely full or cargo. Thorow.-..s no chance ol a man getting in or out. except bv way o! the door in the. bulkhead" divi- , r Tl i?, f°recastie from the main '-,,"- lle c ' l,ef officer was resnonslble lor the key of the door, which was secured on the night of the fire. Tne insulation consisted of ten inches of charcoal enclosed in two inches of white nine lwnrds. Electric lights only were used in discharging cargo and the current was supnlied bv a cable from a dynamo in such a rjosition that it could not come into contact with the cargo. There were no wires to cause fusion. The chief officer uave the alarm at 1.30 on the morning of June 22nd. Smoke was issuing from No. 1 hold. It appeared to witness that the seat of -the fire was in the insulation below the main deck. The smoke was more in the nature of choking fnmes.

Cnntnin WiHrv added -bat an examination after the fire showed that it one-mated in the vicinity of the point locker, but was nothing to show *h:it the fire en me from the paintlocker. Waste oil w:is bound to be about. Some was soils throujrh the roiling of the vessel" on the voyage. It was possible for a little water and oil to fret ii-t-i the insubition. but not probiible. Witness made an investigation of the floor and the oil in the W.!;pr. He did. not see snv crack in the plates. Tie est : n-"iifd the '-dnxnnge to t'i» stonmor *r -T-Pf-'O .exclusive of the cl.inTrre to the cnr^io. (T-ir-10, chief officer, paid that vben he '--ct b»1»"v after the ont-b-c\il- be sp-n- fi-e in the inhibition in b>:f. he would not f=ny definitely that ■Mio*-o iras no fire in the cargo at that time.