FIRES ON SHIPS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8211, 15 August 1906, Page 5

FIRES ON SHIPS.

WOOL AND HEMP CARGOES. EVIDENCE BEFORE THE ROYAL COMMISSION. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, August; la. Tbe Royal: Commission set up to discover the causes of fire od oversea vessels carrying cargoes of wool and flax commenced hearing evidence to-day. Samuel Burridge, a fellmonger of 30 years' experience, said that bis conclusion was that fires on woolships were caused in low quality wools; that was wool with a lot of vegetation in it—burrs, etc. That remark might also be applied to oiutohings, for farmers as a rule were not so particular as toftbe state of th 9 weather when they crutohed sheep, taking advantage of a wet day. Examination had shown that such wool had become heated. He had never seen good quality wool oatob fire. The whole tendency was for tires to ooour in low qualities, though he was not piecared to say whether that would be sufficient to cause fires. He had Known sheep driven into a stream and shorn next day. Wool shipped under auob conditions would, in bis belief, have a tendency to spontaneous oombustion. Alfred Tyler, fellmonger, said that a great deal of trouble was caused in the wet season through wool and skins being shipped iu bad condition. He had had wool from ships that had been on fire, and the wool had only been scorched on the outside, the inside of the bales being quite sound. The paoks bad been burnt off, and the fire had burnt a couple of inches or so into the bales. - Dilnot Sladden, manager of tbe Wellington Meat Export Company, stated that be had no particular view to advance on this subject, and therefore could not give any definite information. He oould only do what other people did—surmise. He had been looking for information on tbe question himself, and did not know where to get it. With regard to slipe wool his company had had only one bale sent baok which was heated, and it was immediately unpacked and cooled. The system of inspection to be of any value must be very complete, beoause it might be not only days but weeks before any heat was generated. The small number of tires that occurred in proportion to the large shipments of wool sent away showed that it was only under extremely exceptional oiroumstanoes that anything like spontaneous combustion ocaurred.