wel ore Mr. C. H. Haines, Coroner Friday, Feb. 7.
"1 do not know how this explosion Occurred," Mr. F. J. Bornholz, engineering assistant of the Shanghai Power Company, told the Coroner, Mr. C, H. Haines, yesterday afternoon, When an Inquiry into the death of the late Mr. Albert Hedley Morton was opened in H.M. Police Court. The late Mr. Merion lost his life following an explosion which occurred at the Sub-Station of the Shanghai Power Company, 495 Yangchow Road, on January "20 in the morning. The explosion cost the lives of four men. 'One Chinese was killed on the spot. two Chinese died later in hospital, and fon January 30 Mr. Morton also' succumbed to his injuries, The Coroner told Mr. Bornholz yesterday that he wanted to know What caused the explosion of the oil switch box, which Mr, Morton wa: examining at the time of the explosion, and also what caused the fire, "The main thing is what caused the explosion of the switch?" he said.
Mr. R. W. Yorke, Assistant Commissioner of the S.MLP.. explained to) the Coroner that the "Wooden switch box" referred to by Det. Serat. Glanville, was actually a wooden container in which was an Interlock-Ing. gear.
Giving evidence Mr, Bornholz said he first went to the Yangchow Sub-Station at about 830 am. on January 20, "His purpose was to test a cable known as GG 102. From Yangchow Sub-Station he went to Shanghai Cotton Mill No, $ to remove potential transformers to facilitate testing operations at Yangchow Sub-Station. He returned again to Yangchow Road and tested cable GG 102 and the switch gear to Shanghai Cotton Mill No, 5, and found everything satisfactory.
'He then informed Mr. MeLennan, assistant control engineer, and ree ceived instructions to close the all switch on the cable known as GG 102. The all switch, Mr. Bornholz explained, was a' copper interlocking connection submerged in all, which was there to put cul any spark which might occur' when the switch was. opened. By closing the switch the current was transmitted through the' cable to the Shanghai Cotton Atti, Something Faulty Immediately on closure the switch opened, Mr. Bornholz said, indicating some fault either on the cable. or an some place being fed by the current. or on the switch gear. By so doing the current was automatically ect off "On the switch opening." Mr. Bornholz continued, "I proceeded to) the ground floor of the Sub-Station to! small quantities of off running from the top of the switch and through the vent pipe or explosion pipe, which Is provided for this purpose. ' This all Funning from the vent pipe was afire as it came out of the switch. The fire was extinguished by Shanghai Power Company employees using Pyrene extinguishers, Upon the arrival of the Fire Brigade and Police there was no fire visible in the Sub-Station, Mr. Bornholz said he was then called away to answer a telephone call, He was also told that there was a fire on the first floor of the Sub-Station. Upon walking $0 feet in the direction of the Sub-Station main doors the explosion occurred, He was blown off his feet into the compound, and he then telephoned for am-Bulances and rendered what first ald could, Coroner: Now you went Gown to isolate the switch. Did you do so?
I was unable to do #0.
Coroner: Why was this?—I was busy putting out the fire. I The object of isolating the switch was to ensure perfect safety, Mr. Bornholz said. There was however no current passitig through the switch at the time. Mr. Bornholz was unable to give any definite reason how the all became ignited. The flash point of all he said was over 155 degrees Centigrade. The machinery of the switch was modern and in perfect working order and the all, which was last changed on September 2, 1935. had not only been tested at the Fearon Road oil testing depot of the company but also by himself.
Coroner: Is it a fairly frequent occurrence to have all spurting out Coroner: Have you yourself come acrons it before?—Yes.
Coroner: Were you able then to discover why such a condition arose?
'Switches, Mr. Bornholz explained, were made to carry a certain strength of current, if this was exceeded on a articular' switch, then. the switch automatically "trips" (opens), spark may occurr when the switch opens and the oil was there to exinguish any such spark.
Coroner: You are not in a position to say how this all became overheated?—No.
Mr. D. F, Harris, special officer in the Shanghai Fire Brigade, who was fat the fire, said that when the ex-lesion occurred he was telephoning to the Central Fire Brigade fon the instruction of Mr, Morton, The message he was told to give was "Fire finished, fused wiring, investigating."
He saw Morton dash out of the building with his clothes a mass of flames. Morton cried "Harris, Harris, put it out." He did so by meant of his leather jacket. "Afterwards he rendered first ald. Whilst attending to Morton, Mr. Harris said, Morton asked to be left alone until the other Are men had been given frst ald, Det. Serg. Glanville said that Morton was examining the. switch box when he arrived, Morton and some Shanghai Power Company em-Ployees crowded into a narrow gap of 2% feot between the wall and some oil switch boxes standing about seven feot high. "It suddenly crossed my mind that everybody in the room would be killed if one of these things went off" Det. Serg. Glanville said. He walked to. the doorway of the room and then the explosion occurred. He did not see what happened after wards but burning all was coming down all over the place, His hair caught fre and he dashed out into the open alr. Later he saw Morton sitting on a waste piece of ground. He was looking at his hands which appeared to have no skin on them.
Mr. R. G. Watkins, third officer of the Shanghat Fire Brigade, said that afler a fire, it was the duty of the officer in charge to Investigate the. cause. Morton was only performing his duty.
An Electele Shock Saturday, Feb. 8.
Dr. T. M. Burton, who oltonded the "deceased after' the accident, [said yesterday that after the accldent the left hand was found to be lifeless, probably as the result of an electrical burn, but certainly not as the result of an all burn, Mr. Webb said that it was exceedingly unlikely that deceased could have received an electric shock from the switch.
In. evidence, Dr. Burton said that he had attended deceased in the General "Hospital after the accident when he was found to be suffering from very severe burns and from shock, His face, both hands and both legs down to the boots were all burnt. "He could not say whether the electrical burns were received before or after the all burns.
The Coroner drew attention to the fact that it was in evidence that deceased had afterwards run from the building, and suggested that this would have been impossible if he had received a severe electric shock, Continuing with his evidence, witness stated that deceased died' from severe burns followed by septicnemia, Mr. Webb gave evidence of having visited Yangchow Road sub-station afler the neeident, and of having! examined the all switch GG 102, On conimeneing to lower the switch, it was noticed that the insulator leading through the tank top on the cable shattered. The switch was lowered further, and the tank taken off. It was then observed that the main
termed for identileation purposes, fon the cable side of the switch, was Gisplaced, and the rod joining this contact 16 the isolating contact slight ly bent, He could find no other fault whatever with the switch, the allgnment of all contacts being good, Technleal Explanation He arranged for the switch to be removed and thoroughly cleaned In order that a further examination might be made, and two days after. wards he "returned and carried out a further Investigation of the switch, 'This revealed that very heavy arcing had taken place' between the coming contacts of the switch, and also (0 portions of the switch' tank barriers, There was, in. addition, indication of less severe arcing from the blue phase outgoing contact to the suspension rod of the switch and the tank bolt. The tank and the top late of the switch were undamaged, fand there were no other signs @ainage to the switch, Tin his opinion, the operations lend~ ing up, and prior to, the explosion were Guite regular, and did wot throw an undue strain'on the gear or equi ment. The switch gear was of ern. construction and design, of the merat-clad, fully "Interlocked "type, well made and suitable for the pur: ose. "The cause of the accident so far as could be ascertained was the failure of the blue phase insulator on the cable side of the switch, at or before' the time When it was' closed and' automatically "opened on the morning of the explosion. The main contact" was not making "proper connection, and an are to the ground was formed from this contact. This was apparently cleared by the switch opening, and at the same time small amount of elf and all fumes escaped from the switch, Tt was ape proximately eleven" minutes after wards that the "explosion occurred, 'The reason for the explosion was not clear, but it might have been due to sparking inside the switch, or toa small fire still unnoticed burning' in the vicinity.
Questioned by the Coroner, Me, Webb said that it the arcing took place when Morton's hand was on the exceedingly unlikely feot more than a. slight shock, Explaining the presen" {he peculiar burns on deceased's left hand, he grees Fahrenheit, and Morton's hand might have got in the Jet of burning all, The all might have copper gas mixed with It, and would give the same effect as an electrical burn, Questioned as to the breakdown of the insulator on the cable side of the switch, witness said that this was very unusual occurrence, and frequent inspections were carried out, The insulator was installed in 1032, Vordlet of Aceldentat Death Sunday, Feb, verdict of accidental death through burns followed by septlanemia was returned by the Carone!
the conclusion of the inquest yes terday.
wish to add," said the Coroner, that T am satisfied that there was no negligence either on the part of the Power Company or on the part of Mr, Morton himself, who was carrying out his ordinary routine duties, It was a matter of great regret that he should have suffered so badly, and Analy should have died from Injuries received while carrying out his duties The Coroner expressed sympathy with the relatives of the dead man, Recalled, Dr, 'T, M, Burton said that if Morton's left hand had got Into the ict of all and gases, as suggested by Mr, C. R. Webb, a previous witness, this would explain the burns sustained the hand, which witness" had previously had suggested were electrical burns. He had brought the matter up, as the—burns were of such an unusual type, Th condition of the left hand consistent with burning at an extremely high temperature,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.