CO129-614-1 Commission of Inquiry into fire at West Point- report 26-5-1949 - 22-12-1949 — Page 84

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Stack 31 consists of steel drums of solid dyestuffs; at the end of this is a small stack of cellulose lacquer against a pillar. it its side are the remains (metal tops and bottoms) of a conjectured stack of rubber accelerator (32); and against this is another long stack, of rosin in kegs (33); the latter is almost entirely carbonized.

This latter stack abuts upon a pillar, where it is met by a stack of metal drums (38) filled now with carbonized residuc. These have split or burst, releasing their volatile contents. It is conjectured that they may have contained rubber solution.

At the junction of these two stacks, there is a hole in the ceiling leading to a flue-pipe; this will be discussed later under "Theories of origin of the fire".

In the passage way before the stack are a number of empty "film" drums precipitated there by the blast.

At the corner of this area there has been a small stack of cellulose lacquer (37) and a case or two of what may be printers ink (36).

Behind these last three there is another residue of metal lids and bottoms from (?) rubber accelerator fibre kegs (35), and behind

that, a small stack of caustic soda (34).

(v) Left-hand end of the Godown.

Stack 53 is a large mass of fertilizer; it is mainly of the phosphate type, but some parts of the stack appear to contain sulphate of ammonia.

Stack 41 was originally calcium cyanamide, packed apparently in paper bags inside straw sacks; the fire and water have converted it partly to lime, and it has sagged and spread itself out to a consid- erable distance along the gangway and towards the back wall. Calcium cyanamide can be a dangerous substance; it is dealt with later under "Theories of origin".

The space between the calcium cyanamide and the back wall is somewhat of a problem, There are signs of considerable heat in this corner, but no residue is left on the floor excopt a fow bales of burnt rubber in the place shewn on the plan.

The window bars, as already stated, of the comer window giving on to Scavenging Lane, have been forced or blown out to such an extent that some of them touch a window of No. 2 Godown opposite. It has been suggested that this was caused by an explosion at this point, but the following facts appear to contradict this theory:

(1)

The window bars, which were sagging out, were fitted into a wooden frame inside the window frame; hence, to blow them out thus would need a really violent explosion.

(ii) No traces of such violent explosion are to be seen. The

window of No. 2 Godown, immediately opposite across Scaven- ging Lane, for example, is quite unblasted.

corner.

It is difficult to imagine what substance was stacked in this None of the usual residues of iron straps, half-burnt matter, nails, etc. is present, so that it must have been a very inflammable organic material, solid, and packed in paper or cartons; alternatively some local natural product, unwrapped. It may perhaps have been camphor.

It is suggested that part of this burning stack collapsed side- ways on to the window bars and forced them out as found. The great heat