218
Mr. MAY-Do you consider it safe to allow them to be stored in unlimited numbers? Witness-I think they should be stored in a certain way. I should allow for air space in storing. The Magistrate-Do you think they are likely to be exploded by spontaneous combustion or by friction?
Witness-It is extremely unlikely.
FRANK BROWNE, Government Analyst, said-I have experimented with saltpetre and sulphur with a view to seeing whether sulphur and saltpetre exploded when heated together. I found that when sulphur and saltpetre are heated together above the melting point of cach that they give rise to an explosion. The sulphur is dissolved into a very large volume of gas and the mixture of melted saltpetre and sulphur emits a dazzling white heat. On January 13, I was shown over the scene of the fire by P. C. MACKAY. I examined No. 4 Godown and found there some melted saltpetre. In No. 6 Godown I found a large quantity of saltpetre had been liquified by the heat-in fact, there was a layer of saltpetre one foot thick. A low grade heat is quite enough to melt either saltpetre or sulphur.
Mr. MAY-We have it in evidence that this No. 4 Godown was stored on the upper floor with a large quantity of matting, and that there was a fierce fire burning there when the firemen got there, There was also a certain amount of fire on the ground floor. Would such a heat as that be sufficient to liquify the sulphur and saltpetre?
Witness-I think so, because after the first explosion I presume the floor fell in. All the saltpetre would not fuse at once. A portion would fuse, and the intensity of the union of the two would be such that a much larger quantity would fuse.
Mr. MAY-We have it in evidence that there was over 4,000 packages of saltpetre store on the ground floor of No. 4, and 300 bags of sulphur close to them--the man said about two feet away from the saltpetre. We were also told that there were about 150 catties of saltpetre in a package, and a picul in a bag of sulphur-e., 300 piculs of sulphur. Would the explosion produced by the liquify- ing of these quantities be sufficient to account for the accident which occurred at the godown described by the firemen ?
Witness-That would cause an enormous explosion,
Mr. MAY-Do you think it a safe thing to store sulphur alongside of saltpetre?
Witness--No; they should not be stored together.
Mr. MAY-Is it safe to store sulphur with any other explosive substance? Witness-No.
Witness further said that he did not think sulphur would produce an explosion by itself.
No.
DATE.
FIRES, 1889,
NO. OF BUILDINGS
DESTROYED.
SITUATION OF FIRE.
1
January
2
3
4
February April
5
May
"
9
June July August
10
"
11
12
13
*
14
""
15
16
17
99
18
19
19
20
21
3 No. 1, Rozario Street,
7 No. 197, Queen's Road West,
6 No. 92, Wing Lok Street, 12 No. 292, Queen's Road West,
5 No. 145, Bonham Strand,
9 No. 10, Wilmer Street, 29 | No. 242, Queen's Road West, 4 No. 227, Queen's Road West, 24 No. 95, Hollywood Road, 26 No. 174, Third Street,
September 16 No. 203, Queen's Road Central,
21 No. 1, Wing Wo Street,....
October
21 No. 112, Queen's Road Central, 25 | No. 220, Queen's Road Central, 29 No. 9, Hillier Street,
10 No. 42, Battery Street, Yaumati, 30 No. 154, Queen's Road Central, November 4 No. 7, Nullah Lane,
5 No. 55, Queen's Road West, December 23 | No. 334, Queen's Road Central,
30 No. 17, Bonham Strand,
TOTAL,....
ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF PROPERTY DESTROYED.
Wholly. Partly.
1
1,000
1
1
2,000
1
20,000
20
300
1
10,000
2
3,000
1
1,300
1
400
1
1,500
1
2,000
1
1,200
4,000
3
***
1,500
1
1
8,000
1,000
16,000
5,000
20,000
98,223
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