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THE RACECOURSE DISASTER.
THE CORONER AND THE " DAILY PRESS "
EXPERTS ADMIT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE PASSED THE SHEDS.
ALL THE EVIDENCE CONCLUDED,
A FINAL REFERENCE TO THE OCCUIT,
Eefore resuming the cuquiry into the put the collapse, down to one of three
Race Course disaster at the Magistracy things weakness of material, weakness of yesterday, the Coroner remarked that he design or come unexpected event, such us wished to make a statement. He sail-en earthquake. He favoured the first I have noticed an article appearing in theory. Even if they took the second it this morning's Daily Press and I feel it was involved in a large measure by the is in the public interest that I should first, because they were dealing with make a reference to it now. The foremm material the properties of which were and members of the jury have also asked unknown. me to make a statement about it. What I am saying includes also one paragraph in the report of yesterday's proceedings, where it is noted that a certain question, or series of questions, was not put tolong period of drought. the witness. The record of the fact that
a question was not put seems to be more in the nature of a comment than a report of actual occurrence, and once that
The Coroner: Have you any reason to suppose that this material is weak of its kind? Not by inspection. I think the material may have been weakened by the
Would you recommend keeping this maturin) in water during dry weather would recommend it if practicable. Do you consider this material consider.
1018.
tically in the hands of a Chinese matshed bracing, would make it more rigid. It contractor? That is the course which the depends entirely upon what other precau average engineer would follow. I do not ons are taken. The omission
diagonal bracing could have been mado
know whether it is relevant, but on a
of
previous occasion in 1910 it was my duty good, by other methods of construction,
such as the adding of struts
Do you think that the amount of cross-
† have some matsheds put up. It was with the utmost dimcuity that I could obtain permission from the Building bracing, as shown, would be sufficient Authority, I discussed the qucation with Taking the structure as a whole I don't them at great length and they were most think I should object to it. It is not -reluctant to have this type of structure. open to serious críticisive
The Crown Solicitor
which might have caused the collapse- in your opinion there were three reasona
weakness of material, weakness of design, or unexpected causes ?—Yes.
And that the exceptional dryness of the
stated that
Supposing you bad bart the duty of
placed practically all confidence in the passing these sheds, you would have
Chinese matsked contractor. Do you think if you had done so it would he incumbent upon you to make tests before · certifying the struc weather might have affected the material? ture-If any other material" was | |—Yes. being used there would be records avail- able of such tests. In this case it would made any particular examination of the be practically impossible to make any material?—I should have relied upon my such tests.
stú. Moreover, une souhi only overseer. In connection, with this point
make a
Having that in view would you have
note with a dead load. I should witness stated that a constructional en
my certificate that I knew gineer had called his attention to the nothing of the properties of the materials, manner in which poles he was using hud You draw a distinction between dead been affected and had asked the reason, load and live load is there any way of witness replying that the only possible. comparing the two kinds of load? They
reason was the weather, can by compared
The meteorological returns were then referred to in order to show that the humidity during the winter period had not been exceptionally low, but the
the weather had been unusually dry.
is pointed out it will no doubt be clearably less serviceable or only slightly less
It is possible from a dead loud test to that the report of the proceedings in erviceable as the result of the drought make an inference na to live load Yes, Court yesterday in this particular went That cannot be answered without a series but it is deduction rather than certainty, beyond what is regular in the reports off of tests. That is my point. No-one knows In connection with this point I might. Coroner thought it might be agreed that. anything about the properties of this mention that when making a test of re
live load because they were not satisfied with dead load,
Court proceedings which are still un
finished. No-one will expect me to d material, and until you have data to go inforced concrete in America they used
cass the subject matter of the procedure of this enquiry as it is given in this morning's Daily Press, I do not intend
on you cannot say.
Can you point to any weakness in the design of the sheds? That is my point
properties of the material used it is im- followed in this inquiry by the learnedible to give an exact opinion on the
What is the usual percentage allowed
The Crown Solicitor: From an en- gineering point of view what is the difference between scaffolding at home, and matshed structures hore-You have
to do so, except to say that so far as it gain, Without knowing the physical in these cases --In common practice you definite records on scaffolding at home.
contains any imputations on the courag
Crown Solicitor, I must-and the jar wish to include themselves with me The matter coiirely dissccinto myself from these critivisans. I consider them to
he altogether unfounded. What I do with to say about this paragraph is this, that when this enquiry, is over any fair public comment mado in the Daily Prep will
design.
Using this material can you give an opinion as to whether it is possible to provide for a margin of safety It is
very danicult to say. You would require many calculations, and you are starting your calculations with the most vital
I would not give
take a live load as twice the dead load. In primary stress that is the American
rule, but a live lond gives you secondary stresses that no dead lond can possibly give.
Here there is nothing certain about bam. boo, nor as far as I know about ir poles.
Supposing the poles came out here from England 7-There would be the effect of the climate, but I don't say that should have thought of that beforehand. I should have thought of it afterwards cer tairily, St
Do you think it is a fair thing to entrust the inspection of this structure a Buildings Overseer Well, my to position is entirely this. You have to rely either on experience or theory add very mach to whatever value these series of calculations on the building as You cannot rely on theory in this case and he would consider that the breakage
If you rely on experience it is likely that
proceedings may have for us all. The practice in this matter is clearly under
factor unknown,
a whole. I should have to give an opinion
en what is known as engineering instinct.
an overscer has had more e
By Mr. Bowley: He thought the most there was a local break in the material, plausible theory of the collapse was that
probably occurred where the great herp experience of bodies war thrown down which would
he party wall
stood. The time for such comments Could you give ono -Yes, I would through seeing this type of structure bring, again, se unexpected force ni to
after the jury have signed their verdict and Docu discharged, and get before. 18 very much in the public interest talt until the close of the enquiry the Press Ahould restrict their undertaking to pre senting an accurate report of the proceed ings. Every endeavour is being made to secure that this enquiry shall be st once thorough and fair to all interests concerned, and if anyone has it in his nover to make it more thorough I am very anxious that he should be heard. Perhaps I may say that some misunder standing may have arisen from a certain informality in the procedure by which witnesses have bean examined. I have a
fustantly.
Mr. Bird gave an opinion about these sheds and be said that if he had been professionally engaged upon them, even although, as you say, the physical pro- parties of the material are unknown, he
could have made the sheds morally safe. Do you agrto-ou can make any strue ture morally safe if you use enough material.
Could a professional man make these shads morally safe--If he had a free
12 he bed hand as regards expense and materials, except, perhaps, for en unforseen weak ness in one part of the structure.
they were not safe, do you Assuming think they were not safe because insuffi bad habit, and I know it and I cannot honestly say that I intend to alter the more money you spend on them the ey was spent on them ?--I think of examining witnesses myself. It helps
safer you can make them. me to appreciate the evidence as no other
བ
cient money.
Have you any idea how much more.
method can, and I am always grateful money would be required to make thew to solicitors practising in this Court for sheds morally cafs? That is very hard to making allowance for this little weakness. answer. Many of the question pat by me have been put by me in place of the solicitors representing different interests here. I myself and the members of the jury, and all who are assisting in this enquiry, are protected at the present time from
public criticism not only by law, but, alm, we trust, by the etiquette and good feel
than a man in an office making calcula
The foreman of the jury would like you to compare the photographs of the sheds of 1914 and 1918, and after noticing
that the increase in height in correspond ing sheds is ten per cent, to state whether in passing the 1918 sheds you would con sider the effect of that increase in height on the centre of gravity -That is a point which would be considered in passing the sheds. You cannot go up indefinitely It is a question of judgment where you are going to stop. I would not, or that account, have refused to pass the sheds for 1918. I do not think this ten per vent increase would cause a collapse, Having regard to the fact that you are
you would regard with suspicion that relying on experience, don't you think
additional beight? I might be led to enquire what had been done in other place. I should be guided by what had been done in Chinese theatres. I should have asked for
certain analogous precedents, and I should have said if the Chinese theatres would withstand the wind pressure these matsheds would,
If you had been in charge of the con-
Mr. H. M. Dyer, chiel manager of the
MR. B DYER.
Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Company, said he agreed with the evidence which PIcssor Middleton-Smith had given and emphasised the point about materials. It was impossible for any engineer any known laws of stress to structures - made of such material. Any guaranten given in respect of such a building would simply have to be the result of looking at it and judging whether it was safe or not. A matshed contained many members in its construction some of which might be redundant and some might, net. Soma of the redundant members might even wit to the unsafety of the structure
The Coroner: Is it possible to inglate
of them? I do not think on Witness, cou the necessary members and make a plan tinuing, said a European engineer would
kind. He would leave it to a Chinese not himself design a structure of this
contractor and then uspect 16 after erection and improve upon it
The Coroner Don't you think an
You have studied the details Yes. The floors are on different levels. Is that a weakness or not I-It depends upon whether the door is carried right through.
If you had set out to improve the design struction of these sheds do you think it engineer might go a little further and
would have occurred to you as to whether criticise the contractor's rough drawing the sheds were safe in case of fire -I-Certainly; that is the same thing should have associated fire with Bre, hot In answer to further questions witness ...with collapse. I think, however, I stated that an engineer might have sug- inight have considered the question of the gosted certain alterations here and there, but that was a very dift thing from
of these sheds, so make them more secure, what would you have done I should have tried to find some data regarding
ing of the numbers of the Press them the materials. Belver,
Yes, I understand you could not get
PROFESSOR MIDDLETON-SMITH that, what than 1-I should follow
If you had had the professional daty
The stability of these sheds resta, 43
eaying that in engineer ought to have
I understand it, on two things-one, the outside struts and, two, the cross bracing over
discovered that t the matabeds are un
of certifying these theds to be safe, door the rear and front walls. Do you safe for the purpose which they were or single bracing in the party walls and sound. In his opinion, the matsheds, were
think you would have passed then ecnsider that cross bracing in the party In view of past experience 1 think I walls is a satisfactory substitute for struts
should.
built,
Would you like to express an epicion
at the rear! It is very difficult to say as to whether the collapse was due to Compare the photographs of 1914 with without working the thing out on weakness in design or to sbrne weaknes You will notice the changes which theoretical principles. You have to rely in one of the sheds? That is only possible have been made. Having noted those
on instinct, which is always very unsatis y experimenting The sheds were tested changes do you still think you would have factory. Bracing in the party walls cer- on the first day of the race-meeting and passed the 1818 design? Yes, I think so.nly assists greatly in making the whole on the morning of the second day Tak-
should certainly have made a note on thing rigid.
ing that the distribution of the load was any certificate, however, that the date I
the same on the second afternoon as ori bave mentioned w regard to the
the first I think something may have materials was lacking
occurred-I don't say must either dur- ing Monday night or Tuesday morning to have caused a weakening.
Professor C. A. Middletos-Smith, pro- tically the recommendations of Mr. Bird fessor of engineering at the University of and have more struts. Hongkong, who was then called upon to give evidence, in commenting upon the matsheds, said the first point to be noted was that they were built of material the physical properties of which had not been, to his knowledge, recorded; secondly, the formule used in designs with other materials did not apply to these parti cuter materials. Another point, which he did not think had been noticed, was that during this winter the weather conditions bad been very unusual and all materials had been affected very much by those conditions. The weather had been un- nsually dry and this dryness would effect fr podes in such a way as to give them a tendency to crack. It would effect bamboo also, but not in exactly the same manner. There would be a tendency to crack and also a shrinkage of the dia What do you consider the proper course meter. The dry weather would not effect for no engineer, should he take special the lashings, because they were wetted. precautions himself in your opinion Everyone, of course, had their own because the material is unknown to him, theories as to the cause of the collapse or do you think he was justified, if he but it seemed to him that they had to did do so, in leaving the matter prac
But whether it is a satisfactory sub stitute for strate you are not prepared to *** Bay ?—No, you cannot say without stress
diagrama,
In the absence of that data would you consider it necessary to exercise more cau- tion then usual before passing the build- ing--I should have placed great reliance on the contractor.
Have you observed any rheds where cross bracing takes the place of outside struts I cannot remember..
The cross bracing in the floors also adds to the rigidity of the structure Yea
Do you think these three storey matsheds are top-heavy 1-Given the ordinary wind pressure I should think they would be safe enough,
The Crown Solicitor Yon trate that you would have relied practically on the Chinese contractor in regard to Chiness structure and we have to rely o zafety of these sheds ? It is essentially a
Would it have been unsound construe tion to leave a certain part of the back wall, as shown on the plan, without diagonal bracing -To put in diagonal the Chinese builders.