1934-06-14 — Page 12

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THE HONGKONG

GAS EXPLOSION INQUIRY

THEORY OF START OF FIRE

The theory that some external agent enused a hole in the gas holder was put forward by Mr. H. E. Stone, General Manager of the Hongkong Gas Company, who occupied the witness box during the whole of yesterday afternoon at the inquiry being conducted by Mr. E. W. Hamilton into the recent explosion at West Point, which resulted in 41 deathe.

WAS

WIN

TELEGRAPH.

the Court by informing them that, when he came hera, over 30 years BRO, Clarence Torraco conslated of

THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 1934.

TORNADO'S TRAIL,

CAUSING DAMAGE

two-storeyed houses occupied by S. AMERICAN DISTURBANCE hone pickers from Kennedy Town! slaughter house. Chung Shing Terrace was not in existence.

Sunlingo, June 13. Continuing, witness said there

A terrific tornado is now aweep- was no survey of gus holders in

towards England except by the engineer in from South Chile

Santiago. Many buildings have charge, and this applied to Hong been damaged at Conrepelan by Kong.

The holder was built in 1908, the blast.-United Press.

being by Mr. A. F. the design Phillips, M.E.C.E., and the cousuit! ing engineer being Mr. Duncan. It in the portion of the tank near the was manufactured and erected by point where the holder was damag Messrs, S. Cutler and Sons, of ed. Millwall, and

was specially built

Damage Done Externally. Ilongkong climate to withstand conditions. The guide framing

Kna

Was

As the gas holder was found Lo Mr. W. A. Mackininy la appear-and the internal bracing were of be in goodvorder at the inspection ordinary made a few days previously, and ing for the Gas Company, and Mr. greater strength than

holders nothing unusual was noticed by W. M. Brown represents the in- standard practice. The

was considered be a particular-painters who were working on the terests of certain owners whoad:

ly good job and could easily have holter up to about half an hour be property was damaged.

The Jury comprise Mesurs. P. Worked satisfactorily for the usual fore the accident. It was reasonable Tester (Foreman), L. Dunbar and period of 40 years. it had been to assume that the holder

in use for little more than 20 working normally, and not leak- D. Drummond,

Ing at any of its joints Ilis The Ilon. Mr. E. D. C. Wolfe, In-Feurs.

Since it was installed the hold. theory was that a hole was made spector General of Police,

external er had worked satisfactorily and in the holder by some present yesterday.

had been well maintained. It was means. Even then it would not Mr. Hamilton stated at the re commencement that the evidence connected to the works by two have caused any damnge outside seemed to be that the fire originat-mains the valves of which were of the holder, had the gay not be

ignited. The

would always open, one in and one out, come ed at Chung Shing Street.

The Hon. Mr. Wolfe: 1 would enabling the holder le work auto-merely have escaped, and the hold-

matically,

er would have settled down in the not go so far as that, Your Wor-

tank. flis theory was that the No Jamming. evidence ship. Until that

accident was started with a com- given it was not assumed that the

Mr. Bamilton: Supposing there paratively small hole, which be are had started outside,

should be a jam?

came enlarged by the burning gas. In reply to His Worship,

Mr. Mr. Stone: It would be imine:He would put the point of ignition Wolfe said he would get in touchdiately notleed on the gauges. just outside the hole itself. with the Fire Brigade for addi-In this case there was no jam The gas was burning when it tional evidence on this point.

the nir. Continuing his evidence, Mr. II.is. I sent the holder us by came into contact with

air pressure.

The gas was only burning on the Continuing, witness said folders edges, and it was carried to the are regarded as quite safe and re- houses. There the burning ex quired little attention, but, as there terior of the pocket of gas Ignited had been a long period without part of the houses, while at the water at this time, Mr. Marshall same time some of the unburnt was instructed to make a weekly gas entered the houses and got inspection to ascertain that the ignited. The gas in the

holder water seals were filled to the before it burnt would be absolute- necessary depth, to examine thely invisible, and

would only be guide wheels and the sheeting, and visible after ignition. It was quite to see that the holder had free possible for both flames and ka- movement. An examination was burnt gas to get into the houses. made on May 11, when the holder The burning edges of the gas would was reported in good order. Re-give out an intense radiation, and pairs, when necessary, were all he suggested that this radiating ways entered in a repair book in heat must have been the cause of accordance with custom, Leaks the two watchmen and a woman could be detected by hissing, etc., getting burnt, and these were always patched ap Temporary repairs could be effect-)

2. Stone said that he went to the seene of the outbreak and sent an salatapi, Mr. D. Marshall, to get a hose playing on Chung Shing Terrace. Afterwards the hose wng playing on to the holder to cool the plates sufficiently to make an

examination.

"As I was running across to the holder i saw the childron of the gardener being carried into the office, and I am inclined to think that I saw the night watchmen as well. They were taken into the oflee and there Mr. Thompson. the Accountant, spoke to them.

Government Charter.

Mr. flamilton: By what regula- tions are you governed?-In Eng land we have Trade Regulations.ed with paper. The holder was In Hongkong our Charter is given us by the Government.

Were your plans and specifica- tions originally submitted to the P.W.D.71 could not say.

Mr. Mackinlay: The plans and specifications are in England and there is no one here to inform us on that point.

ed.

year

re-patched in October last and had been kept well painted There was bound to be some inter- nal corrosion of a gas holder, but this was not a serious matter and was allowed for in the construc- tion.

Inspection Dangerous,

In-

Used As Target,

His theory was that

the gas holder had been used as a torget, as things were found in it. AL though he had not weet Anyone throwing things at it, articles had been found in the yard,

Describing the construction of The holder, witness said that the holder was constructed of a heavy steel framework, neroas which thin steel sheets, one-tenth of an inch These sheets merely acted as un- velopes, and were not called apon of more

in thickness were fastened.

than about one-third of a pound per square inch. Any object dung against the side of the holder

Mr. Stone; I understand that The internal corrosion of the the Government gave permission holder, continued Mr. Stone could for the holder to be erected. The not be checked up without an in- plans for a new holder to be ereet-ternal examination. In practice ed in Kowloon have been passed such an examination was only by the Public Works Department. made when absolutely essential, withstand pressure

Mr. Hamilton: las it customary as it was very difficult and a dan In England to put up your holders gerous procedure for those engag in yards among thickly populated ed in the operation, owing, to the would open up one of these thin toenlities such as this at West difficulty of clearing the holder of plates, particularly if it struck the Point?The procedure is this. the gas. There had also been holder near a joint. It was pos- You apply to the Government for several fatalities during atehsible the accident. may have been a site; notices are posted up and operations. Experience had shown caused in that way. objections, etc., are considered and that -normal internal inspection -Mr-Humilton: Would it not be permission is granted or not grant was not necessary, and no recon-wise to have a sort of wire cur

mendations for internal inspection tain round the holder in view of Of course there are gasometers had ever been made by the

your theory that things are thrown" in populated places in England. atitute of Gas Engineers.

int it? There is the one at the Oval for Witness said he had examined Mr. Stone: I think it would be. instance?--In England what has the plates left on the holder and The matter will probably be con- happened Is that the guzometers also those which were ripped offsidered. have been erected and the houses when the holder descended, and he In reply to another question, have grown up round them. There thought that the corrosion was not witness said it would require a is usually a compound formed by worse than he had anticipated. very hot spark to Ignite concen- a wall and houses on the other Roth the sheets and joints would trated gas. In fact, if a light side of the street, the same as at have to become unduly wask to was thrawn into the holder. Yaumati. There are no regulo give way and, moreover, had that would not ignite the gas within tious as to this. In Clarence been no, it would have been in it. Street there arc circumstances dicated externally by small cracks, peculine to Hongkong, the hillside | For a plate to have come out at for instance,

the top, as one witness had said, three joints would have had to go. but before a plate could get out in that manner preliminary cracke would appear.

A Delicate Question,

It has been suggested that the holder should not have been built there? It is a delicate question. In order to ascertain the damage! But if I was asked to choose a lo the holder, the water was pour- site I should choose one claewhere ed out of the tank, and when that where you have not got these dis was done a search was made in

the tank for foreign matter. advantages,

A

to have the number of articles were found. Is it customary watchmen's shed in the yard?-consisting of palat brushes and Well, below the water tank, yes. scrubbers, probably dropped dur- In reply to questions as to whe- ing painting operations. Several ther there were houses near the bricks, the remains of a paper lan- holder when it was erected. the tern, an electric lamp bulb and a Hon. Mr. Wolfe said he might help, plece of iron rod were also found

FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS

It

The hearing was adjourned for to-morrow afternoon.

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