The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1868-07-29
lsulu.

A few hours before the sailing of the
steamer Koafana last Wednesday, drc was
discovered to have broken out among some
bales of pulu, which were slowed in the
fore hold of the ship. The pulu, OF which
there were two hundred and sixty-two bales
to be shipped, was being put on board, when
the hands stopped work for breakfast, at
which time though the hatch was oil, there
was no signs of fire, but on turning to"
again, smoke was seen rising from the hatch,
and found to proceed from three bales which
were on the upper tier OF the cargo. The
danger was soon overcome, without damage
beyond a few pounds Of pulu, burnt In the
bales where the fire originated.
Although very certain, that no fire re-
manned after the three bales had been put off
the ship, yet the uncertainty as to how the
firo originated, and the feeling Of Insecurity
with keeping on board any cargo, In which
fire had been discovered, with the unpleasant
apprehension which must be excited among
the many passengers engaged for the voyage,
by the ship leaving so shortly after the
accident with any pull still remaining on
board, determined Capt Connor to put
ashore, what was already slowed down, and
leave the whole shipment behind. By the
order of the American Consul, Capts. Meek,
Robinson and ID. Foster, were requested
to survey the cargo, and to report the
damage done, and also their opinion on the
cause of the fire and the ACCESSIBILITY of the
steamer proceeding to sea, with any pull on
board Without being able satisfactorily to
themselves, to account for the origin of the
fire, but naming the only two probable
means, that of a spark from without, or
heat from within, they sustained Capt. Con-
nor's opinion, that under the circumstances,
the refusal to take any pull, on the present
voyage was justiiabie and proper. Had the
ship day or two longer, before proceeding
TO sea, so that the pulu could be watched,
and everybody could have been made GER
tain, that no possible danger existed, they
would have advised the shipment as perfect
ly safe
The shippers, although damaged by the
disappointment, acquiesced in the decision
Us correct, and find no fault, that for the
sake of the passengers and that of the Cap
tain not to assume responsibility for possible
accident, their pull must remain over for
future transportation.
The accident has given rise to some discus
sion as to the liability of baled pull, to ignite
frof, it, hos Thar. Il I'D to ba
possibilities which may happen, if we give
our fancy scope when searching for causes.
We may ind spontaneous combustion, a
plausible reason, if other causes are not
apparent, not only for the burning of bale
of dry pull, but the body Of a topper. That
the pulu on board the Montana did not
ignite from itself, we infer from the fact
that the burlaps were burned, as if the fire
originated from without instead of within,
only very little of the pull was burned,
whereas if it had ignited from internal heat
the whole mass would have been in combus-
ton and the burlaps burned in many places.
The pulu was in a dry and good CONNER
eial condition. An examination Of other
bales, showed no heat existed in them. The
pull has been returned to the storehouse,
and no further fire has shown itself in it,
and but for the accident on the steamer
nobody would have conjectured that it was
liable to spontaneous combustion, no more
than so many piles of dry lumber.
Very moist pull, has many times made
the voyage to San Francisco without excit-
ing alarm from heating, many thousand
pounds of it in a wet condition, have been
stored in packing house, and remained for
days, without overheating; in all its manipu-
lation on these islands these fifteen years
past, and transportation across the ocean, it
has not suggested to those engaged in the
business, that it is liable to spontaneous
neither do we believe it is SO
liable, under hardly any circumstances. 1t
would falsify to the past experience of years,
dangerous quality. That it is eombustible
md easily set on fire is very true, but as it
S shipped, well baled and covered with bur
APPS, is not so dangerous as many goods that
get along under ordinary insurance rates,
ind have not excited the fears of either
ihipmasters or owners.
The accident may have happened from a
tray spark from some smoker, or stack I
Iipe- The bales lay at the leeward side Of |
be wharf, and from being some hours there
n the sun, were dry and sun heated, and the
that the fire was communicated
rom without, is much more convincing
han that it originated in the pulu itself