H.—29

VI

" There is no record of any conflagration that was clearly proved to have originated from spontaneous combustion pf,p'horinium fibre in bales. It is possible that if the fibre is baled up in a rotten condition, or so damp as to supply the oxygen required to promote such fermentation, the rotting would go on; but the' rise in the temperature would be controlled by the compression that had been applied to the bales,: as in the case of manufacture of ensilage from green fodder, in which the temperature is kept to 135° Fahr. simply by pressure. In the case of the fire aboard the s.s. ' Mariposa,' there does not appear to be the slightest evidence that it originated from heat generated in the centre of the bale. It seems unfortunate that the question should have been raised, as there is nothing to show that phormium fibre is more prone to take fire than such articles as coal, greasy wool, cotton, manila, sisal, jute, kauri-gum, and many other articles of commerce that are carried without question." " Canterbury," Ship. (Exhibit No. 15, p. xxx.) On the 3rd March, 1898, a fire was discovered to have broken out on board the ship " Canterbury " while lying at the Dunedin wharf loading a cargo of wool and flax. The master of the vessel, in giving evidence, said, " I am of opinion, from careful observation, that the fire originated in the tier of flax-bales. I cannot account for it in any other way than by spontaneous combustion, but I did not notice the flax to be damp when I took it in." The Court of Inquiry found that " The vessel caught fire while lying at the wharf loading for London with wool and flax. No doubt fire originated from spontaneous combustion in flax." " Strathgryfe," Ship. (Exhibit No. 6, p. xvi.) The ship " Strathgryfe " left Sydney, New South Wales, on the Bth March, 1901, for London, with a full cargo consisting of wheat (in bags), concentrates (in bags), tallow, and about ten thousand bales of wool, both scoured and greasy, some dumped and some undumped. On Thursday, the 21st March, the ship was discovered to be on fire, and she put into Dunedin on the 24th March, where the fire was eventually extinguished. In the course of his evidence before the Court of Inquiry the master said, " As to the origin of the fire, we traced the seat of it to scoured wool in the second tier from the bottom. I think, from the way in which the fire gained heat after it was first noticed, that it must have been smouldering when we 1 left Sydney, though there was no sign of it even in the ventilators. In answer to your question as to what means can be taken to guard against fires, I can only suggest that careful examination should be made of every bale of wool shipped, if possible, by a wool expert. My opinion—and it is, as you know, very generally held—is that the principal risk is with scoured wool, especially fellmongers', which may be shipped in an imperfectly dried state. I may say that we stowed the scoured wool next to the wheat so as not to stain the latter ; that is how I know that the wool destroyed, and which was apparently the first to catch fire, was scoured and not greasy." The Court of Inquiry found that " The vessel caught fire in lower hold, probablv from spontaneous combustion of scoured wool shipped in a damp state." " Waimate," s.s. (Exhibit No. 15, p. xxxi.) On the 3rd December, 1901, a fire was discovered to have broken out in No. 4 hold, between decks, on the steamship " Waimate " whilst the vessel was loading in Napier Roadstead. The vessel at the time was loading with wool, flax, tallow, and New Zealand produce for London. The Court of Inquiry found " That the fire broke out in the flax stowed in No. 4 hold, between decks, but there is no evidence to show how same originated." " Jessie Osborne," Barque. On the sth March, 1902, a fire was discovered to have broken out on board the barque " Jessie Osborne " whilst loading a cargo of wool, flax, and tow at the wharf in Wellington Harbour.