THE TURAKINA FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 21 October 1907, Page 3

THE TURAKINA FIRE.

EVIDENCE AX LNyUiiU'. j.'ci lie.-; u-Jll. \\riiuigivii, Fnttay. The nautical eniju.ry nno tiij me windi occuircd on tlie iunikiiia on September cuwuieiKcd to-day. 'l'lic Cjuii consisted 01 i>r ALcArtiiur, S.-U. i iprvaidingj, and Captain Willis, Lloyds j surveyor ut Chriatcnurdl, and Air \V. Ci. Foster (assessors).

Captain Forbes, master of the Turakina, recounted the circumstances ol the lire and its suppression alter the return to .Wellington. He said the ship had been materially damaged by lire. Nos. 1, 2 and 3 holds had been examined as far as possible, lie detailed the damage, I'lie llax was through the ' whole of the 'tween decks. No. 1 'tween decks were loaded partly at the Bluil and partly at Napier. The centre or main portion was loaded at Auek- j land, lie had formed the opinion that the lire originated in the llax loaded at Auckland. Thero the highest temperature was recorded when tlic tempera- i lures were taken abiflit a. quarter of ail hour after the lire was reported. Since he had been in Wellington, l lc had come to the conclusion that tile fire had originated in 11 section in the 'tween decks rile bales there were badly b illed—■■oine compeKcly destroyod-and the lire passed from there to A section and through the lurches to the shelter d ek, ■•■ Hil- a thir.i Jlaine travelled aft in it section. Seventeen bales of wool in A chamber were partially destroyed, besides burned on the outside, lie believed the £re had a substantial hold when it was discovered. Tile second ollicer was in charge ol the stowing of all holds and had to go from hold to hold, ile might be away from No. 1 hold for live or ten minutes going round the other holds. Then the stevedore in charge would prevent smoking in the hold. Tile men were not searched to see that they took no matches aboard, but, the men were supposed to leave their coats on deck. Smoking in the hold would be practically impossible, because the second officer or the stevedore woulj be always very close. His opinion was tllat the lire started on the inside of the bales of llax. He thought so because some of the hales stood apparently .square, but when the slings wore put around them and pressure applied they collapsed. '[he hearts were destroyed. He noticed about three in that condition. Continuing, witness said there were 350 bales of hemp unaccounted for.

Arthur Parnmore, second officer of the Turakina, whoso duty it was to superintend the stowing of cargo, said lie always refused to ship wet flax*. 'l'hn llax shipped at Auckland was dry as far as ho could judge. There was no fall of rain during the loading of th" ship except at 10.30 p.m. on September 2511], when work was suspended for tlie nighf and the hitches closed down. Questioned by Mr Johnston, wilness ■ .id 11.-t 1," 1,.,',] ennt iniriHv in tlie the hold while the flax wo 9 being stowed. lie had seen no one smoking in the hold during that time. Ibid lie done so. lie woul,l most certainly have ; stopped the person seen smoking. | Superintendent Hugo, of the Wellington File Brigade, said he took pari in the suppression of the fire. He ma do' an elimination of \o. I bold rlur ; !ie the lime fhey were extinguishing the fire. From what he saw, he thought Captain Forbes was very probably correct in his theory as to the place of origin of the tire, lie could not express any opinion on the evidence lie had heard as tlie cniM' of the lire. For some time lie bad e.rrie.l on experiments with regard to lire ill hemp, but had not been -able to g. t very near to spontaneous combustion. Jfe hud a very decided theory as to the real cau>c of fires in ships, lie had seen passengers and men smoking on wharves and amongst cargo many a time. He quoted tlie case of tile'fire oil Moeraki in 1905 lii this case it was stated that a mm had lost something in the cargo and struck a match to look lor it. Under such conditions lie thought there was plenty to account tor tires. Even if spontaneous coini l.iiiti'.ii Were possible, lie should ccr- [ I a inly not expect it to arise within i lour clays alter tile, loading of the u'v F sels. °

In answer to Mr Johtisfon tlmt tlio i»xp«»pi)iH»itls he had carried out on tin* matter of spruilanc"iw pombimtiou had been meivlv of a private ohur.Lcter, JI„ w0lll(l not put lonv.nl as the experiments of lt chemist. He considerable ox t K-ri<<n,M. „f 11,0 sea, liavhiir heen , master mariner. He had often seen men smolciTiGT in the holds „f shins For (lie lasl eight and a-half Years of his l'esi.lenee m KiifflanJ. the t-'irrvin-' of inches i„ (|„. lln(] : ||lsn _ Inly prohibited. In many dork-; men Ind to ehniiKe their clothes.

The iiii|iiiiy i s ( 0 i, c r< .. S niiir.<l mi Won day.