BENZOLINE BLAZE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 141, 4 March 1918, Page 4

BENZOLINE BLAZE

ON THE HUTT ROAD. How careful people should be who have anything to do with volatile spirits was demonstrated a few days ago on the steamer Huia, and'was emphasised by an interesting discussion at the Harbour Board's meeting on Wednesday evening last. Another illustration occurred on the Hutt Head on Saturday afternoon at about 2.30 o'clock, when 120 cases of benzoline (a volatile oil used- for gas generating for household purposes) caught fire whilst being conveyed on a horse-drawn lorry to theVacuum Oil Company's sheds at Kaiwarra. The cause of tho fire has not been given, though its origin is suspected. N A call was sent to the fire brigade, 'which was promptly on the sceno, but as water has little or no effect on blazing spirit the wagon-load .of benzoline simply burnt itself out. The horses were got out of tho lorry without injury, and the lorry itself was, strange to say, only charred, probably owing to the cooling effect of the water that was ponred on to the blazing heap. There were other lorries, similarly loaded, following on, but they managed to escape ignition. The lorry belonged to Munt, Cottrell and Co. The fire 'brigade superintendent, Mr. H.'Tait, ■ again wishes to strongly emphasise the extreme danger which exists in handling volatile oils under all and everv condition, and emphatically insists that no driver of containing oils should be permitted W smoke.