Stack
Commodity
-
38
Approximate Quantity
Dangerous Goods Category
Sample
No.
36 37
(?) Printer's ink Cellulose Lacquer
1 case
10 cases x 6 gals.
4 (1)
38
(?) Rubber solution
8 drums x 44 gals.
39
40
41
42
43
Pigment
44
45
46
Cellulose Lacquer Cellulose Lacquer Calcium cyanamide Iron bars
Cellulose lacquer Cellulose lacquer Liquid & Solid Dyestuffs
Sulphate of Ammonia Phosphate fertilizer Raw Rubber
47
48
49
50
Phosphate fertilizer
51
(?) Rubber accelerator
52
Washed film scrap
53
Phosphate fertilizer
(with some sulphate of ammonia).
about 50 tons 50-100 tons
10 kegs × 200 lbs.
7 drums liquid × 50 gals. 2 drums liquid x 10 gals. 2 drums solid × 200 lbs. about 10 tons
about 50 tons
say 100 bales x 100 lbs. about 50 tons
6 kegs x 100 lbs. 144 drums x 500 lbs.
say 200 tons
10 cases x 6 gals.
4 (1)
20 cases × 6 gals.
4 (1)
3
20 cases X 6 gals.
20 cases × 6 gals.
4 (1) 4 (1)
4939
Ord. 23 of 1923
Sample 4665
Sample 4941
5. EARLY THEORIES OF ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
In this section mention is made, for purposes of record, of the various theories formed and abandoned during the investigation.
(a) Electrical theory of origin.
It was mentioned above that a drum was picked up in the roadway, with a hole fused in the side of it. I examined this drum and found the hole to be sur- rounded with a light spray of copper globules; leading to the hole was a short "trail" of partly-burnt rubber.
It therefore appeared that the drum had been "burnt" by an electrical short-circuit from a rubber-insulated wire. Only one wire outside the building could have caused this, and this was the heavy electric cable running along the outside wall, already referred to, and of which a piece was found down on the pavement. The portion of this wire crossing above the hole in the wall showed no signs of short-circuiting; it was therefore conjectured that the drum had passed this wire safely.
From this it was reasoned that the drum had been short-circuited and burnt within the godown; this would of course provide the origin of the fire.
The technical staff of the Hong Kong Electric Co., Ltd. examined the instal- lation and carried out tests, at which Insp. Shaw and I were present. It appeared that the fuses of the godown installation had "blown" and would "blow" at 30 amps current, whereas more than twice this current would be required to burn the hole found in the drum.
Insp. Shaw further pointed out that the drum might have been blown out only on to the pavement, where one end of the electric cable had afterwards descended on it and caused the hole.
This theory was therefore abandoned.
(b) Theory of ignition by material descending the flue-pipe.
On 30th September, 1948, as we were examining the material of Stack 38 (Plan No. 1), Insp. Shaw noticed a small hole in the ceiling above, of which the posi- tion is shewn on the plan. This was found to lead to a flue passing through the upstairs flats to the roof, and was evidently a relic of the original intention, that the ground floor of the building should be occupied by shops.