FIRES IN WOOL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1866, 21 September 1906, Page 2

FIRES IN WOOL.

PRESS ASSOCIATION Dunedin, last night. The Wool Fires .Commission opened its sittings in Dunedin to-day. Andrew Toad, local manager of the New Zealand Loan and Meroantile Company, said he did not know that he could throw any fresh light on the investigation. If one oorner of a bale of wool was damaged by moisture, that oorner being the weakest, was where the fire would break out. He did not think that moisture that bad not penetrated deep into a hale would cause a fire in a ship’s hold. There was more danger of heating in low quality wools He thought there might be danger from steel hoops around barrels of tow. The vibration of the ship might oause friction, and a spaik be generated whioh might oommunioato itself with the tow. J. A. Johnston, managing direotor for Wright, Stephenson and Co., said that during his 30 years’ experience he had never seen wool come into the stores in a wet condition that would lead to oombu3tion, except where the wool had met with an accident in the oourse of transit. He

declined to theorise. Wool had remained in the store for several months, and remained in perfect order up to the time of shipment, yet in one instance the ship that oonveyed such wool had taken fire. That vessel also carried flax from Wellington.

James E. Thomson, Inspeotor of Stock, said wool could not be put into such condition as to make it burn, but it could be put into such a state as to cause fire on board ship. He had seen wool lying wet for one night that the hand oonti not b 9 put on the bale next morning. He thought salt water wouli have more effeot in heating than fresh water. W. H. Carey, fellmonger, had seen bad

wool heat so that it oould ecaroely be haudled. He had never seen this in firstolats wool. Inferior wool was sometimes packed in tho inside of good wool, Sliped wool which had not been dried properly was very dangerous. 0. J. Bewley, wool classer, was of opinion that fires on wool ships was oaused by wet packing on stations. Thos. Owen Price, manager for Swift

and Company, just returned from Homo described the condition of the wool he had Been which had been through fire, He did not see any wool that seemed to show signs of spontaneous combustion. His opinion was that fires were oaused by wool being shipped damp, especially sliped wool. He thought there should be a system of inspection at ports of shipments, C. E. Remshardt, exporter, had never had any case of wool heating, but rabbit skins had heated on him. One bale for shipment had been refused by the captain of the ship, and it was brought ashore urn comfortabiy hot. The skins had been originally dry, but had become soaked with water,