Firth. — On Fires in Coal-ships. 105 



The report of the Government Geologist is as follows : — 

 "I have the honour to report that I have made two 

 inspections, on the 25th and 27 th instant, of the coal-cargo 

 of the ship " Knight of St. Michael," and have to report as 

 follows : Previous to my visit the cargo had been inspected 

 several times by the marine surveyors, copies of whose reports 

 are herewith. From these reports it will be seen that the ship 

 left Newcastle on the 1st February with a cargo of 3,216 tons 

 of Wallsend coal. On the 2nd February the master took 

 temperature at intervals between 8 a.m. and noon, and found 

 that in No. 2 hatch it rose from 96° to 104°. He therefore 

 put into Sydney Harbour, and on the 4th February the cargo 

 was surveyed, and the temperature in No. 2 hatch was found 

 to be 105°. The surveyors thereupon recommended the dis- 

 charge of 300 tons of coal from this hatch. On the 6th Feb- 

 ruary the surveyors made a second inspection, after the 

 300 tons had been nearly discharged, and, finding the coal 

 still much heated on the surface, they recommended the 

 discharge of a further quantity of about 500 tons, or until 

 the ceiling was left practically clear. The cargo was again 

 inspected by the surveyors on the 11th, 12th, and 14th 

 instant, and on the latter date they were of opinion that all 

 the heated coal had been taken out, and that the remainder 

 was fit to be carried on. On the 14th instant the captain 

 reported that the temperature of the coal in No. 3 hatch 

 was rising. The surveyors confirmed this on the 17th, and 

 also found a slight increase of temperature in the coal in No. 4 

 hatch. They therefore recommended that coal be shiftsd 

 from hatches Nos. 3 and 4 into No. 2 until the heated coal 

 was reached, and that the heated portion be then removed 

 and sold. On the 21st they reported, after another inspection, 

 that there were no signs of heating in the remainder of the 

 cargo, and it was therefore assumed that the difficulty had 

 been overcome. Subsequently, however, it was ascertained 

 that the temperature was again rising in No. 2 hatch, and I 

 was then requested to report upon the matter. At about 

 9.30 a.m. on the 25th instant I found a temperature of 84° 

 Fahr. in the centre of the coal immediately underneath No. 2 

 hatch, while in the hold near the side of the vessel the tem- 

 perature was only 77°. It was noticeable that the coal 

 contained a large proportion of small and dust. At about 

 9.45 a.m. on the 27th February I found that the temperature 

 had risen to 88° Fahr. in the centre of the coal under No. 2 

 hatch, while in the hold near the side of the vessel it was 

 76°. At the same hour the temperature of the coal in No. 3 

 hatch was 79°, and in No. 4 hatch it was 73°, while the 

 shade temperature on deck was 69°. It is clear from the 

 foregoing remarks that the temperature of portions of the 



