FREEZING WORKS FIRE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 143, 19 June 1931, Page 8

FREEZING WORKS FIRE

DISPUTED INSURANCE CLAIM THE WAIROA COMPANY'S LOSS (Per Press Association.! GISBORNE, June 18. Evidence of plaintiffs was continued in the Supreme Court this morning in the action in which the Wairoa Farmers’ Meat Company and the Bank of New Zealand claimed from the Now Zealand and Eagle Star Insurance Companies £77,859. Patrick Cowan, fireman, related the damage done by the earthquake on February 3. The works were running normally after the power was restored on February 5. He felt a slight ’quake at 9 p.m., and at about 9.45 p.m. he received an indication of a tire which was located at the store. Cross-examined, witnessed stated that the ammonia pipe was repaired on February 3. There had been no fire drill at the works. Reginald Samuel Corbett, tallow foreman, deposed that after the ’quake all of the buildings were in good condition, except the gable end of the preserving block and the chimney stack. The lire occurred in the south west corner of C store, close to a»ie river. People were in the habit of using she intervening space as a lovers’ walk and he had seen fishing nets stored under the corner of the store. Cross-examined, he said that the cracks in the wall of the tallow store were there when witness took over the position prior to the earthquake. It was seven minutes before the brigade arrived. It consisted of a dozen men. The fire had then a good hold and the water was cut off soon after. Fire Brigade’s Work. David Byfield, superintendent of the Fire Brigade, detailed the brigade's operations after the alarm. After crossing the damaged bridge he and his men were taken by cars to the works. —whither the firemen residing on the north side of the river had taken the hos reel. They knocked down the dividing door and played water into the store. The pressure was not too good and he asked the engineer for more, bu Marshall said that the pumps were doing their best. A second lead put on reduced the pressure, which became so low it was trickling from the nozzle. He then ordered the power to be cut off The flames were gaining with great rapidity, and he instructed the firemen to save w’hat they could. Meat trucks were pushed away and other salvage work was done. The fire raged through the night. The fact that they were unable to get the water tender across the river was no hindrance as they had plenty of hose at the works, i He was absolutely certain that the origin of the fire was in C store, and it appeared to have started either on or under the floor. Fourteen firemen were there. It was a good turn out, the men being quickly on the spot. They received all the assistance asked for from the company’s employees. On the day of the ’quake two Wairoa buildings were destroyed, one by the upsetting of a kerosene stove and the other in Dalgety’s store by matches igniting when tipped over the shelves. In another case a bottle of methylated spirits fell on a stove and ignited, but the second shake rocked a tank and put the fire out. The organisation of the brigade had not been disturbed by the ’quake.

Town Mains Waterless. Cross-examined by Mr Ford, the superintendent of the Eire Brigade stated that there was no water in the town mains on the night of the fire as a consequence of the February 3 ’quake. The water supply available would not reach the ceiling of the store. The flames came through a crack in rhe wall before they came through the roof. The opening was due to the wall parting from the building. He expected that there would be ample pressure irrespective of whether the water came from the works reserve or the river, but for fire-fighting the supply given was hopeless. William Brown Pederson, brigadesman and slaughterman, gave similar evidence. Flare Over Door Constable Tuck, Wairoa, said the first he saw of the fire was what appeared to be a naked flare over the loading-out door of C store. He thought it was a light placed there to assist loading-out. After the alarm was given he went to the works. The day after the big ’quake he noticed a certain amount of damage at the works. Cross-examined by Mr Gray, witness said that a good many buildings in \\ airoa were damaged by the ’quake. The Now Zealand Shipping Company’s store, 500 yards from the freezing works, was badly damaged. He examined the works only out of curiosity. He saw a board projecting on the south-west corner of the building, and the fire broke out two days later, 25 minutes elapsed between the time when he saw what he took to be a flare and the sounding of the alarm, The earth'quake on the night of the fire was nothing serious There had been worse tremors between the big ’quake and then. The fire was inside the door on his arrivel. The pressure from the hose was not as good as the town mains usually gave. The board he saw projected looked a if it had been pulled out, but it might have been sprung. William Marshall, chief engineer, said that before the ’quake the works were in first-class condition. About four years ago repairs were made to C store, but the old electric wires on the middle floor were disconnected, lhe wires were cut outside the building. Ihe wiring of the top floor was left untouched. After the ’quake the electrical equipment at. the works was in first-class order. The pumps were just as usu.l after the ’quake. On arival at the fire the superintendent of the brigade said the position was hopeless and ordered the shutting off of the power for fear <>f live wires falling and injuring somebody. Cross-examined, witness said that if ;he had been told after the big ’quake [ that the power would be off for a j week he would have started up the { steam plant. The fellmongery end of , lhe building was weaker than the | slaughterhouse end. The ’quake broke | a fiance off the condenser pipe. None i of th<- buildings had to be shorn up. I hq did you swear affidavits of j di><-<>\ cry ns to documents in the pos- | session of the company? ! Witness qbp management was ; away. I*' ' " !l '' ri "W what (he documents

were in the possession of lhe company? Witness: No. Was it the act of an honest man to sign affidavits in the circumstances? Witness: I thought it was a matter of routine. Continuing, witness said that the boiler could have functioned without the chimney stack. Further Evidence. Marshall, continuing, said that the company had not had much difficulty in the matter of power dislocations. As long as the steam plant was in orjler the company had no reason to fear, but would not be so comfortable, witness thought, without the steam plant. With the steam plant temperature could have been held indefinitely, but it was impossible to be sure. The difficulty would have been the loss of 1° smoko sta ’ . The ’quake could not have opened the switch letting the current into the lower part of the C store. Witness fancied the fuses were out for the whole of the C store. When the alarm was sounded one hose was in readiness. What about the other hose?—lt wasn’t long enough to reach the store. In reply to his Honour, witness said that if the txyo leads were used, the pressure would have been on the m which actually reached the fire. Trevor Smith, Public Works Department engineer, Wairoa, gave evidence regarding the effect of the ’quake in the district. The principal damage was on the oppiste side of the river from the freezing works. An examination of the works two hours after the shake revealed little structural damage. Charles P. Drewitt, Wairoa Power Board engineer, stated that the fuses were removed from the C store instal lation four years ago. After the ’quake the electric installation at. the freezing works was wholly undamaged. After inspecting the beds of the motors witness authorised the restoring of the current immediately without further inspection. Witness was the only Power Bonn! employee to visit the works from the ’quake to Februay 15. The wires stretched tightly between the buildings were undamaged after the ’quake. When the power was restored the day after the ’quake the freezing machines started normally, and there was absolutely no evidence that they were out of alignment. At 10 p.m. lhe hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.