Electricity Not Cause of Ballantyne's Fire

Chronicle (Levin), 3 June 1948, Page 7

Electricity Not Cause of Ballantyne's Fire

Press Association)

(Per

CHRISTCHURCH, June 2. Nothing that had been said in the evidence justilied the conclusion that electricity in any way contributed to the eause of the fire at Ballantyne's, John Cossar Forsyth, the engineer of the Municipal Electricity Department, told the Commission of Inquiry today. "The alternating current installa tion at Ballantyne 's was the usual type for, such : , premises, .said Forsyth; "The alferations and extensions wero iuspected as completed and the whole installation was reinspected in April. 1934, and in Septeraber, 1940." On the afternoon of the fire the senior inspector of the Municipal Electricity Department instructed him to keep in close. touch with the situation and to dete'rmine as soon as possible whethei the fire had originated by eiectricai caus'es. On Friday nlorning after the fire it was learned that Woolf and Salvesen, on instructions from the Fire Uuderwnters ' Association, were removing the service main cable and the attaehed equipment, and a protest was immediately made. QIt was deeided at a subsequent conference that the investigation be handed to the State Hydro-EIectrie Department. 'i'he rougliness inside the bellmoutli taking the power conductors into Ballantyne's was contrary to the regulations, and sliould have been noticed by a careful inspector, said Forsytli. It was hard to uiulerstaiul how a wii;eman could make the joints discovered on. the service mains because he wouid know such work ,was contrary to the regulations and that, if found oui, wouid alniost certainlv lose his lit-em-e. Forsyth outlined the arrangemen. oetvveen the department and the l'ire iioard for the department to be notilied of fires. He said, however, that ! uo record could be traced of any ea . cducerning the fire at Ballantyne s, s., Ihe Fire Lrigade appeared to ha\c iaken 110 action regarding the sup.n . of electricity at the scene of the lice. Learning ot ihe iire at Ballantyne s hc himself gave orders that the area was to be disconnected. Forsyth, ausweriug a question by Jlr. T. A. Oresson, for Bailautyno s, said that wlien the inspection was made in 1937 by 11. D. Adanis, the report card showed "O.K. " and Adams s signature. He considered that this mdi-cat-ed that the eiectricai installation in the firm was satisfactory but he added that the inspector nnght have had uiore informatiou in his notebook. llr. Lascclles said that Adams wouid be caJled as the next uitness. Wheu cross-exaiiuned by Jlr, E. S. Bowic, counsel for Thompson and Dor reeii, eiectricai engincers, Forsyth said , that the report of Inspector Gee in; 19-19 compriscd. three . typed . quarto sueets of, malter rqquiring attentioh , |here was nothing in the report to sug gest that the cable was not pruperis earthed. To lurt'her questions by Alr. Bowie. Forsyth said that m his opinion defec tiye joints in the calde had nothing to do/with the firo. llj ( secmed, probab.le /hat 'Clie joiufs wcre'made after Tho'inp son and Dorreen had made the instai lation. The cross-examination of Forsyth I was not linished when the Commission tidjourned until tomOrrow.