THE WOOL COMMISSION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8212, 16 August 1906, Page 5

THE WOOL COMMISSION.

FIRES ON SHIPS. By Telegraph—Press .Association. WELLINGTON, August 15. Before the Wool Commission, i to-day, Professor Maolaurin, of Victoria College, considered that J the cause of these Aires was due—(l) to oxidisation caused by the action of oxygen alone as in the case of wool and oil. A good many oils oxidised very rapidly, linseed being the extreme; and (2) heating by the aotion of bacteria, though this, of oourse, would only be an initial aotion in the case of wool containing dirt and animal matter, and which harboured bacteria. These under favourable conditions would set up a certain amount of fermentation which might grow to a sufficient extent to cau'ie combustion. Mr Foster: "Would the presence of the moisture add to the risk?" Professor Maolaurin: "In the oaee of wool it undoubtedly would." Mr Foßtei: "Perhaps you could get together information for us, following the wool from the packing at the station to the habrbour board sheds, the method o f dealing with it in the sheds, and placing it in the hold, and go into the question generally so that we may have more material to go on." Professo* 1 Maolaurin: "I will be very willing to do so." Mr Frasar* "Do you think that damp flax not containing any oil would cause fire?" Professor Maolaurin: "1 think it might." Captain David, of the Corinthic, said that judging from the period which seemed to have elapsed between the ships leaving New Zealand and the outbreak of the flees it appears to have been 3ue to an unusual cause something that had not ocourred in the usual run of steamers. He had been in the trade for some seven or years, and bad no reoolleotion of a previous epidemic. The reasonable deduction from experience would be thht in these particular instances the fire was due to some abnormal oiroumstanoes cither in the wool it- < self or in the handling or packing in the colony.