35
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 considerable 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 except a few bales of burnt rubber in the place shewn on the plan.
The window bars, as already stated, of the corner 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:-
(i) 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 Scavenging Lane, for example, is quite unblasted.
It is difficult to imagine what substance was stacked in this corner. 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 sideways on to the window bars and forced them out as found. The great heat would certainly soften the iron sufficiently for the purpose.
3. GENERAL PICTURE OF THE FIRE, FROM THE TECHNICAL STANDPOINT.
This section of the report must remain, of course, largely conjectural, as I was not present during the early stages of the fire itself. It seems, however, that some attempt at correlation of the godown contents with the effects of the fire would not be altogether without value.
The fire appears to have taken place in four phases, as follows:
Preliminary small fire.
Explosion.
Period of flaming of film.
Burning of remainder of commodities
(including No. 2 Godown stock).
These will be considered in turn.
(a) Preliminary small fire.
At this stage the cause of the outbreak will not be dealt with. The pre- liminary small fire observed, which gave a tongue of flame licking out of the grating in the wall of No. 363 above the film stack, is now believed to have been the first drum of film burning.
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