THE TAINUI TRAGEDY.

Taihape Daily Times, 9 October 1919, Page 6

THE TAINUI TRAGEDY.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.

-CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 7.

Giving evidence at the inquest of the 'l‘_a'mui victims, John McLeod, engineer, gave evidence that on the Friday preceding "the disaster, Mr Greenwood, the Tainui’s engineer, had asked him to send a couple of men to clean the bilges. Greenwood added that -owing to the condition of the Benzine cases, Mr Williams, the shipping master, had ordered the cargo to be discharged from the aft hold on sll6. ‘Timaru trip. '

William Robert Costello, an apprentice, gave cvidcnce that he assisted to clean out the bilges, and the bulkhead, and also the after hold, and found benzine, grease,‘ and water in the bilges. The fumes were something awful, and the bilges were not.punlped dry when the pumping was stopped. He did not know who ordered the pumping to be stopped. The fumes could escape to the boiler and ‘the furnace, as there was _a. clear space, and the furnace faced the hold. There were holes in the lining ‘of the aft hold, and leaking benzine could easily escape ‘into the b‘ilg—es}‘”*7é,s;;&“

THE 'ENGINEER’S PREMONI'I‘ION..~ 'P. B. Carmichael, -licensee of the RoyaAl‘Hotel, Lyttelton, stated that Mr Greenwood, the engineer, seemed to be apprehensive that something was likely to happen, and asked witness to take charge of his month’s wages. Later in the day Greenwood said he would wire the money to his niece at Palmerston North. Greenwood informed him that he did not like benzine cargoes, as benzine was likely to get into. the stokehold. ' v «

John‘ =Radclifl? -and Wiu‘iam ~ John Pring gave‘ evidence as «to the condition and stowage of the cargo. The last named said his theory regarding the explosion was that the nails in two cases mightfhave been grinding against. one another, eausing a. spark, which ignited the fumes, thus causing the explosion. A sudden jar of some lgin‘-1 ,could.have caused the explosion. « ‘A DELEGATE is FEARS.

» Felix Newfield, delegate at -Lytetlton tor the Seamen’s Union, said he was askeii by the crew -what he thought of the cargo, and he replied that he would not go to sea in the vessel-,'even if he lied only one leaf in the cupboard and no prospect of gs=.t‘.sing~anlo«ther. In‘hi§ opinion the vessel was not suitable for carrying benzine. His belief was that the explosion took place in the stokehold, and the reason that the two forward hatches were blown off was that the fire ran along the bilge, and the point of least resistance——the hatchés—— were burst open. He did not thinks’ that ploughs weighing ' ‘l3e-wt should have beeil placed among the benzine cases. In the time that the Tainui was loaded sufficient Ctll'e eould not have been taken to prevent a certain anrount of cargo shifting. ' j

In the course "of an -explanation why ‘he had not. ordered the men not" to sail, witness said if he had delayed the, ship till next morning they would have dumped the benzine over the side’, and there would have. been no proof ‘of danger to justify the delay. ih CLERK’S EVIDENCE. ' George‘ Snlel.l.ie, . clerk in the’ employ of the Refrigerating Company,_ said that in consequence. of benzine leaking’ into the engineroom on a previous trip repvaix-s were carried out. When Captain Wilcox examined the ‘ship on Septelnbervls he said the repairs looked alri‘ght‘. but proof -of the budding would be in the eating- Captain Wilcox also remarked that if there ‘wasoany leakage on the iWanganui trip the Tainuilwould take no “more benzine from Lyttelton. A . Witness was asked the reason for putting tploughjs in the hold, and he replied that there was room_for them there. . -_ A V LLOYD ’-S SURVEYOR’S EVIDENCE. l Archibald . Walker, surveyor for Ll~oyd"g Register, expressed the opinion that insulated holds eonstl'uc.ted like the TailHli’s"Were better‘ fitted for carrying benzine than were the ordinary wooden vessels, which carried benzine from America. to the Dominion, particularly s-o in connection with the division between the holds and the ‘bilge. . -

lJ,’l‘he inquest was adjourned till tomorrow. ‘