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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, SEPTEMBER 30, 1910.
FINDING.
We find that the British Steamship Kum Chow, Official Number 128,682 of Hongkong, of which JOHN MARTIN, the number of whose certificate is 103 (Singapore), is Master, was lying in the port of Hongkong on the night of the 13th-14th September, 1910, intending to sail at 10 a.m. on the 14th for Saigon, with a general cargo, consisting chiefly of flour, sugar, and Chinese goods; there were also several cases of wooden matches in the after hold. There were 320 Chinese passengers on board.
The Master, whose home is in Hongkong, left the ship at 5 p.m. after all the cargo was stowed and passengers on board, leaving orders to take in 125 tons of bunker coal and to have everything ready for sailing by 10 a.m. All other Officers remained on board.
At about 11 p.m. the coal came alongside in two lighters, one going each side of the ship, and immediately after, she commenced taking it in from the lighter on the port side, under the personal superintendence of the Chief Engineer. The coal coolies were using ordinary bunker lamps, in which was burned kerosene oil instead of colza. These lamps were used not only in the bunker but in the alley ways through which the coal had to pass to the bunker hatches.
At about 2 a.m. fire was discovered in the port alley way, the wooden casing, and door leading to the No. 2 'tween deck, being well alight. The fire spread with great rapidity until in three minutes, the midship section of the ship was ablaze, the fire involving the officers' cabins, both alley ways, the bridge deck, chart room, wheel house, master's room, and saloon, and severing all communication between the two ends of the ship.
The Second Mate got hoses along on fore deck, and the Chief Engineer started the pump, but the ship's hoses were not of much use, as, owing to the disappearance of all the crew, there was no body to assist the Officers, and the hoses were quickly burned.
The Government Fire Float arrived alongside at 2.30 a.m. and succeeded in extinguish. ing the fire by 6 a.m., the second float arriving at 3.30 and ably assisting.
There is no evidence to show the origin of the fire, but the inference from the evidence adduced is that in some way unexplained some kerosene oil became ignited in the doorway leading from the port alley to the ladder to the 'tween decks, and that this communicated the flames to the wooden door and casing.
We are of opinion that the use of kerosene oil in bunker lamps should be forbidden.
No blame attaches to any of the Certificated Officers. But we wish to place on record our sense of the most reprehensible conduct of the crew in leaving the ship when she was in so critical a position.
We consider that the fire floats arrived promptly, and that no time was lost in getting them to work.
Given under our hands at Victoria, Hongkong, this Twenty-sixth day of September, 1910.
BASIL TAYLOR, Commander, R.N.,
Stipendiary Magistrate and President of the Court.
HENRY BUTTERWORTH, Lieutenant, R.N.,
H.M.S. Tamar.
FRANK MOONEY,
Master of the British Steamship Chip Shing.
HERBERT ARTHUR HARDS,
Master of the British Steamship Sungkiung.
WILKIN COOPER PASSMORE,
Master of the British Steamship Haiching.
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