Resumption of the gas supplies for the Settlement gave rise to some uneasiness, more particularly among the Chinese community, as to possible danger from explosion and fire from aerial bombs or shells exploding on the gasometers or gas mains.
This question has been carefully investigated by the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade and a report nas been received by the Council showing that the danger from explosion is extremely remote while the chances of a fire and explosion are considered to be 99 per cent. against.
Captain Dyson, Chief Officer of the Shanghai Fire Brigade, in his report mentions that one fear expressed, i.e., "Should a gas main be hit by a stray missile and should an explosion result, fire will break out all over ihe Settlement and the several million: of residents will have no escape" has obviously been made by a person entirely ignorant of actual facts and conditions, In substantiation of his CE opinion that the danger of "explosion is extremely remote and the chances of a fire and explosion are 99 per cent. against, Captain Dyson states that the gas supply works, which afe _inxtiie Yangtszepoo District, are^the most up-to-date and foolproof that can be found, probably anywhere in the world.
The main gasometers are:—two in Yangtszepoo (only one of which, it is understood, is in use) and two at Vu Ya Ching Road. They are of the telescopic water seal type and possibilities of an explosion at the gasometers are extremely remote. The modern rigid type of gasometer has been the cause of a few serious explosions but as this ty: j found ili Shanghai this póint can be ruled entirely out of the possibilities.
The gas mains, (with the exception of the feeder mains which are 14 inches) vary from 6 inches to 12 inches. The larger size is used-under some of. the bigger thoroughfares. Shells which have fallen on roads in the Central and Western Districts have so far been of small calibre and have barely pierced the asphalt surface of the road. The only exceptions have been the air bombs, nota-ably that at Vu Ya Ching and Avenue Edward VII Roads corner. Here the roadway was pierced over the former (now culverted) Yang King Pang and Defence Creeks, and the road bed here could be considered as not quite normal owing to the presence of the. culverted creek underneath the surface, weakening resistance to the force of the explosion.
The gas mains in Shanghai are buried at a minimum. depth of three feet, though more often they are much deeper. The chances of any gas main being broken by a shel] or bomb are extremely small as, in addition to the above reason, the space occupied: by gas mains in relation to the Settlement in general is almost infinitesimal.
In conclusion, Captain Dyson definitely states that the likelihood of a few stray missiles causing a serious gas: explosion is practically nil. p án intensive bombardment with heavy guns of the howitzer type occurred (considered to be a most unlikely circumstance) a gas main might be pierced and the leaking gas become ignited; in such circumstances, is considered almost certain that the Gas Company would close down the system, to prevent financial loss as well as to take precautions. It may be mentioned that coal gas is in far greater use in Great Britain than in Shanghai and during the Great War, while air raids were in progress in various parts of the country including London, there is no record of instances where the whole of the public gas lighting supply service was closed down.
Captain Dyson quotes Dr. Von Schwartz, the great German authority on fire and explosion risks, as stating "Even the storage of many hundred thousand cubic feet of gas is free from danger. Should the gas in the gasometers be set alight, it burns away quietly owing to lack of the oxygen necessary to produce an explosion."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.