CLAIM FOR £77,850.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18359, 19 June 1931, Page 8

CLAIM FOR £77,850.

FREEZING WORK'S FIRE

YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS. Constable’s Evidence. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GISBORNE, Thursday. The action of the Wairoa Farmers' A*;;at Freezing Company and the Bank of New Zealand against the New Zealand Insurance Company and the Eagle, Star and British Insurance Company, for a claim of £77,850, was continued in the Supreme Court to-day. Constable Tuck, of Wairoa. said the first lie saw of the fire was what appeared to be a naked flare over the loading-out of "C ” store. The day after tlie big earthquake he noticed a certain amount of damage at the works. ' Twenty-five minutes elapsed between the time lie saw what he took to be a flare and the sounding of the alarm. The earthquake on the night of the fire was nothing serious. William Marshall, chief engineer, said that before the earthquake 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. The wires were cut outside the building. The wiring of the top floor was left untouched. After the earthquake electrical equipment at the works was in first-class order. The pumps were just- as usual.

Trevor Smith, Public Works Department engineer, Wairoa, gave evidence regarding the effect of the earthquake in the district. The principal damage was on the opposite side of the river from 'the freezing works. Examination of the works two hours after the shake revealed little structural damage.

Charles P. Drewitt, Wairoa Power Board engineer, slated that the fuses were removed from the “ C " stores installation four years ago. After the earthquake the electric installation at the freezing works was wholly undamaged. When power was restored the .day after the earthquake the freezing machines started normally, and there was absolutely no evidence that they were out of alignment. At 10* p.m. the hearing was adjourned until to-morrow.

TO-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS. EVIDENCE BY ENGINEER. fßv Telegraph.—Press Association.) GISBORNE, Friday. The action in which the Wairoa Farmers’ Co-operative Meat Company and the Bank of New. Zealand sued the New Zealand Insurance Company and the Eagle Star and British Dominion Insurance Company for £77,850 for damage to I lie Wairoa Freezing Works, allegedly caused by lire ou February 5, was continued in the Supremo CourL to-day. Charles Drewitt, engineer to the Power Board, continuing his evidence, stated that the maxigraph instruments he rescued from the lire showed by graphs of the electrical energy consumed that the buildings were in sucli a condition that they were holding their temperatures. His Honour: If there were a short circuit in the system sufficient to cause a fire, would that be shown?

Witness: If there was an arcing short circuit, sufficient to create the danger of lire it would bo recorded on the graph. Witness, continuing, said there was normal consumption of current before and after the earthquake. There could have been no abnormal ingress of (he outside atmosphere, otherwise it would have taken longer to obtain the desired temperature. Cross-examined, witness said that the system of wiring had been a poor one, but it was improved before the earthquake. It would have passed Ihe Underwriters’ Association. The wires in the chamber were not in tubes, only the entrance wires, the sole insulation being the cover of the rubber and the braiding. These wires were fairly tightly stretched. If further stretched they might diminish in diameter or break. The recording instruments' would tell the defects in the system. He had not been in the “C" store for four years, and could not speak positively as to the condition of the wiring after the earthquake.

Source of tho Fire. Further cross-examined, Drewitt said lie could not suggest any source of the fire, apart from human intervention, other than the electrical installation. His Honour. Rats don’t like freezing works, I take it. Rats arc getting unfashionable as far as tires are concerned.

Witness added that tires of .electrical origin were most uncommon. They were more likely to occur in the conduit systems, where the wires were close together. Questioned if Waikaremoana was put out of action could power have been obtained, witness said there were duplicate lines, and lie could not conceive of any contingency under which consumers on this line could not have been supplied within twelve hours.

James Brownlie, sheepfarmcr. who had meat in the works, deposed that he inspected the works after the earthquake, and lie came to the conclusion that they were quite safe, the damage being slight. John Wilson Kane, Superintendent of the Osborne Fire Brigade, reviewing Hie sectional plan of llie uninsulated walls at the Wairoa works, stated that the lire would not he readily extinguished once it had a good hold. If a hole were burnt through tho floor and a draught was getting kilo the building, the lire would obtain a good hold. To fight n lire of that nature a pressure of tOOlh, with four to six heads, was necessary. When the lire was well away there would lie nothing gained hv going on the roof. 1 j is Honour: Assuming that the appliances were inadequate, that does not affect the case, because the insurance company took il and fixed the premium on that. t Proceeding.)