1934-06-23 — Page 7

3

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1934.

THE GAS WORKS EXPLOSION

ENQUIRY

ANOTHER THEORY ADVANCED BY

MR. J. G. CHARLTON

Tearing Of Plates Might

7

Have Ignited Gas

That a spark caused by the tearing of plates might have ignited the gas that escaped was another theory advanced by Mr. J. G. Charlton, assistant Government Marine Surveyor, Central Magistracy yesterday when he gave further evidence. in' the enquiry into the West Point Gas Explosion disaster on May, 14.

D

Mr. Hamilton, the Coroner, remarked that the jury felt very strongly that either the gasometer be not erected in this place or that guarantees be taken to safeguard the material of the gasholder, and enquired of the Hon. Mr. E. D. C. Wolle, LGP, If he had taken auch necessary steps to address the Govern- ment. Mr. Wolfe replied that he was doing so, and 'Mr. H. E Storie, the manager of the Hong Kong and China Gas Co., as- sured the Coroner and the jury that every possible care would be taken to repair the holder and any necessary renewals made. Supporting the Coroner was a special jury comprising Messrs.

P. Tester (foreman), L. Dunbar and D. Drummond.

"Mr. W. A. Mackinlay, of Messra. Deacons, represented the interests of the Hong Kong and China Gas Co., Ltd., and Mr. W. M. Brown, of Messrs. Hastings & Co. watched the proceed- ings on behalf of certain properly owners whose property was damaged by the disaster.

Jury's Strong Feelings Regarding Gasometers

*...

ELS

Continuing his evidence, Mr. Charlton said that since the pre- vlous hearing, he had made a further examination of the con- structional soundness of the crowIL of the holder, with Mr." Stone, the manager of the gasworks. The general survey revealed severe corrosion in all parts of the trusses. Several flat plate tie- hars which perhaps were original, ly 3/8 to of an fhch in thick- ness were wasted in places to 1/8 or 1/18 of an inch. Some of, the angle brackets to, which the wind' ties had been attached, were com-ly had been pulled. pletely corroded away. What was feft of the angle brackets was in the form of something like powder which could easily be removed by 1 Anger. Particular inspection to each bar and angle gusset round the inner surface was not made as it was not considered safe. the former being erected only in the vicinity of the damaged side. An inspection of the vertical joists to which the upper and lower ties of the side sheets were attached. showed there was marked weak

of the webs. Immediately below the angle gussets, the webs at this point had buckled side- ways from 7/16 to 1/4 of an inch and were of the following thick

compression "of the air in the holder as the upper tier of the side sheet was submerged in the water tank. In any case, the de- formation of the upper end of the vertical joists was not such would be caused by their landing heavily on the landing blocks. Had the king" post landed heavily on the central tier the main tension rod would the load of the gussets and the. tendency would be to bend the outer end of the joists outwards instead of inwards as they actual-

ness

ness:-

་་

transit

The Coroner then enquired of the Hon. Mr. Wolfe if he had taken steps on the guarantees of the gasometer

Mr. Wolfe replied that he had got to the stage where he was now addressing the Government on the matter of rebuilding the 2030- meter..

F

The Coroner remarked, that the Jury wished him to say that this matter was regarded by them as very important.

Mr. Stone: can assure you and the jury that every possible care will be taken to repair the bolder and any renewals necessary will be made.

Coroner: The jury feels strong- ly that either the gasometer be not crected in this place or that guarantees be taken to safeguard the material of the gasholder,

Mr. Wolte: I think I have men- tioned that in my minutes.

Analyst's Evidence.

Mr. Victor Cecil Branson, Gov. ernment Analyst, said that on May 30, Mr. Charlton handed bim a packet containing certain deposit which he said he had found on the gasometer.

From preliminary experiments he found that the deposit contain ed much iron but on further ex- amination it was found that it consisted of 22 per cent. of water and voluntile metal together with

5 per cent, of oll matter, insoluable in benzine, leaving 73 per cent of water. iron oxide. sulphide and Of this 36.5 per cent. was iron... Expert recalled

YESTERDAY'S DELUGE

PHENOMINAL RAINFALL CAUSES MANY MINOR LANDSLIDES

Reservoirs Rapidly Filling Up

The exceptionally heavy rainfall which occurred yesterday morning has done, comparatively little damage, but It has had the effect of removing all water restrictions in the Colony.

The fall was vaḤiously recorded in different parts of the Colony, The highest reading was at the Wong Nel Chong Reservoir where for the twenty-four hours ended 10 am, a' little over 11 inches was recorded. The reading at the Royal Ob- servatory "over the same period was 8.87 inches while at the Bötamiën! Gardens the reading was 9.75 inches.

Aberdeen "Reservoir was overflowing yesterday while the other reservoirs in the Colony were rapidly filling up.

Comparatively little damage was done, there being land- "slidės reported from various spots on the Island as well as on

the mainland.

The heaviest rainfall occurred between 4.30 and 5.30 yes- terday morning when no less than 2.15 Inches came down. During this period there were incessant claps of thunder and ....lightning.

1

1926 Experience Recalled

The rainfall of yesterday recalls i

Tai Hang Village the terrine downpour of rain

The Causeway Bay district bore which fell in July 1926: which its share of the damage. Falls of caused tremendous damage. As a minor character occurred on both result of that experience several nullahs in various parts of the Colony were widened to cope with any similar situation which might One of the nullahs which was considerably widened was the one which ran out of Wong-nel- the

arise.

Mr. W. A. Butterfeld, chief en gineer of the Asiatic Petroleum Co. (8.0.), Ltd., on being recalled said that he had heard Mr. Charl- ton's explanation of the new theory and taking into considera- tion of the condition in which he found it, it appeared to him (wit-chong into the Praya past ness) that there was every possi- bility of a distortion having cc- burred owing to the wastage which Mr. Charlton had describ- ed. There was also the possibli- ity of Ignition being caused by a spark as it was generally known that this was the possible cause of some explosions. Cases had been known, with particular re- gard to benzine tanks, where the cause of explosion had been at tributed to the failure of the tie- bar, that is, if there was no other cause to accourit for the explosion, In regard to ignition of gas by fracture of a side plåting, it would appear to him that if there was too rich a mixture at the point of the fracture there would be a possibility that it would not ignite. The Coroner suggested that the plates right have been thrown heavily against the girder as to cause a spark,

Jockey Club stands. Although a huge volume of water came gush- ing down this nullah yesterday, no damage" whatever occurred its route.

Mr.

Charlton remarked that from the photographs taken that might have been the case.

The hearing was then adjourn- ed, until next Monday afternoon.

DOM MANOEL'S BOOKS

(Special Air Mail Service).

London, June 8.

along

sides of Scokunpoo Valley. while the inhabitants of Tat Hang vi lage had an anxious time when the rainfall was at its highest for a food was threatened. Happly the water drained off rapidly when the rain subsided, but it is under- stood that the damage done is considerable.

Happy Valley itself was a beau- tiful sight early yesterday, mor- ning, the place being a sort of miniature lake. Here also the The overflow of one of the pul-water drained rapidly away when lahs which runs through the Pro- the heavy rainfall ceased. testant Cemetery was responsible

In Kowloon for the washing away of a portion of the boundary wall of the ceme- The rainfall in Kowloon

This caused a slight ob- not quite so heavy as on the Is- tary.

been re- struction to traffic yesterday mor- land. Landslides have

ported at the 54 milestone on the soon од ning, but coolics were the scene and cleared the debris. Talpa Road and at the 13 miles A wall in the Mahemedan tone on the Castle Peak Road. Cemetery was also carried away by the rain.

of

was

The back portion of the garden of No. 81 Waterloo Road bore the

brunt of a huge quantity of earth which was washed away from the Garden site of Kowloon's New City.

The new pathway to the Kow- loon Hospital, was also damaged.

Several boulders were dislodged in the hillside above stubbs Road and carried down a quantity earth but none of them were ot very large dimension. The Road between Wong-nel-chong Clap and Shui Fai Terrace was almost com- pletely blocked yesterday morning. but the work of clearing was well on the way by noon time and the whose tracks appear to have sur- obstruction has now almost en-fered no damage as a result of

the heavy rainfall... tirely vanished."

Above Barkar Road a boulder which became dislodged carried away part of, the ratings of "The Cottage." The boulder came to a standstill by the side Di some trees very close to the building.

At Quarry Bay

The western entrance ot Quarry Bay School

Railway All Clear *The "All Clear" is signalled from Kowloon-Canton rallway the"

has

from.

The Water Figures.

ration Hongkong's water been "washed away" and to-day a full supply will be avail- able in all districts. Before the rainfall the reservoirs had 922.- 000,000 gallons of water and yes- terday's contribution brought the

Had the gasholder been working normally the pressure of gas or the crown of the holder would in- duce a horizontal force tending to compress the curb inwards." With the East North East wind blowing, as in the case on the morning of the disaster, this Horizontal force would be increased in the section which failed as the total wind force on the upper lift had taken out all the guide rollers on the leeside. This was resisted by rafters and gussets attached to their ends and vertical loists. In this case, this compression of force had been transmitted to the webs of the vertical joists where they had become weakened through strain and corrosion with the con- sequent buckling of the webs, the bending of the vertical joists and the rupture of the side sheetings.

I hear that the last volume of In reply to the Coroner, Mr.

that the Inner the late King Manoel's magnif- Vertical joist No. 2, web thick-Charlton sajd

blocked There is a of the crown, rafters.cent catalogue of early Portuguese with. boulders which had fallen more being 'ness about 1/18 to 1/8" corroded structure

for 1 inch on the inner compres- trusses, etc. had suffered a con- books collected by him at Fulwell

down" from the hillside. The weather shows no indications of siderable reduction in strength. Park is now in proof. By the sion edge."

school itself, however was not clearing at the time of writing. Is it possible that typhoon windswish of Queen Augusta Victoria, damaged in the least. The tram

has herself have, some effect on this?--Natur- who

contributed a ness 1/16 of an inch, buckled sideally. The stronger the wind the foreword, this volume has been tracks below the school was ob-

compiled by Miss Withers, the Vertical Joist No. 4, web thick-greater the strain on the curb.

Do you think it possible that late King's librarian. when the plate camė

also contain memoirs the small amount of gas es- by Doin Mancel's great friend. caped could be ignited? There Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Mr. Stanley 15 1 chance that the tear- Morison, the authority on early ing of the plate may have caused printing, and Dr. Aubrey Bell, the

spark which would be sufficient Portuguese scholar.

Will Though this volume

lack the personal touches given by "The

other experts Dom Manoel to the

two, One said no It "will be as sumptuous as its

predecessors,

Vertical joist No. 1, web thick- "ness 1/8 to 3/18 of an inch, buck- led 1/4 of an inch in two direc- tions..

.

Vertical Joist No. 3, web thick-

.ways 7/16".

ness about 1/8". buckled sideways about 3/8".

Vertical Joist No. 18 torn through

web but not buckled.

all that?

Coroner: What is the effect of Mr. Charlton: The effect of that is to allow deformation of the curb girder, By girder I mean the plates round the curb.

were

away.

to ignite the gas before it grows' into large mass,

Mr. Mackinlay: seem to disagree. the other said yes.

Witness: Perhaps we can have an experiment.

A New Theory....

It will.

HIS LAST DERBY?

(Special Air Mail Service)

London, June 6,

Was

the figure to 1,535,000,000 gallons.

structed by a deposit of rocks and earth but workmen lost no time in clearing the tracks and normal traffic was resumed early in the morning.

On several points along the Is-

land Road... landslides were re- ported one of which is at the junc tion of Shek-0 and Island Road, while another is on the Chalwan Road, near the site of the Government Civil Hospital.

new

distinct" prospect of collected since the

ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE

E

New Territories Incident

A robbery with violence is re- In Magazine Gap at a point 200 yards below May Road, where ported to have taken place at an Kak Hang road widening is in "progress, annumbered hut in landslide bringing with it a fall village. New Territories,

33, Tsang Yau,

unemployed of rock and earth, completely blocked through passage.

sexmar tiving bra but with his Pokfulum Road at a point near wife, daughter and baby son, re- Sassoon Rd. was also rendered im- ported that about 11 o'clock on passable due to a fall of earth in Thursday night, he was awakened that vicinity, but work on restor-by the sound of the wooden board-

en in hand yesterday.

片

broken in. He went out and saw four men, One of them came up to him, and held him by his throat and asked him to hand over all his money. He replied that he had none, and was struck.

Curb and Plate Deformation Continuing his "evidence, Mr. Charlton said that in order to as- certain whether the curb and plate had suffered Bny deformation, strings

stretched tightly Mr. Charlton then went on to along the outside flänge of the say that he had read an extract jolsta. It was found that joist No. from the "Engineer" which sald The legend of Steve Donoghue's 2 was bent inwards at the upper that a sub-cominittee had been impending retirement is a hardy end, 3/4 of an inch, and the formed by the Gas Institute, call-perennial, writes a correspondent. ing traffic was immediately tak-fas on the side of the hut being others to a lesser degree. It was ed the Gas Holder Sub-committee, This is not surprising, as Donog his considered opinion that this for periodical inspection of gas-hue, would obviously not be so deformation took place prior to the holders and also for their Insur- unwise as to commit himself to à disaster as he believed it most ance under contract. The extract career as a trainer until he was likely it would be sufficient to im- was dated 1931....

certain that he would get the pose the strain on the sheeting Mr. Charlton concluded his evi- horses which it was not in a conditiondence by saying that there was The legend is alive again, and

The other three men then tied to withstand and consequently a chance that the tearing of a although it is not officially con-

him up by his feet and hands, and ruptured, so allowing the gaz to plate might have caused a sparkfirined, I am more willing to be- Hongkong Bank suspended opera- a piece of cloth "was tied tightly escape. There were reasons to which would be sufficient to lieve it this year, for, if he cares tions yesterday as there were large round his mouth. The robbers support the theory that. the ignite the gas and to cause a low to retire now, he will probably be pools of water in the base above then made a search, and decamp- rapidity of the descent of the inner explosion outside in the vicinity given some of Bir Victor Bassoon's the foundation.

ed with money and clothing to the lift would be checked before the of the rupture and the concussion horses to train. If Steve can train A huge quantity of small stones valde of $13. "King" post met the central tler, would be sufficient to tear off the two-year-olds with all the skill stored од the South side of The victim's daughter' awoke dislodged | affer the robbers had left, and The descent would be impeded by other plaies.

and care which he still shows Queen's Road, became a side sheeting found wedged be- Mr. Mackinlay remarked that he when riding them, Sir Victor will by the rain and broke through a released him. He then raised the tween the upper and lower ft would reserve his cross-examina-be doing himself, as well as Steve. "wall" of bags of cement. No alarm, but the robbers had already and there might have been some tion on this, new theory.

a kindness.

damage was done by this 'Slide." made their escape.

"

"

In the City There was not much damage in the city, and the only effect of the rain was to give some of the buildings a much-needed spring cleaning. The building site at the

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