DEFECTIVE WIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 139, 14 June 1935, Page 8

DEFECTIVE WIRE.

CAUSED BOY'S DEATH.

SYSTEM OF INSPECTION INEFFICIENT.

CORONER'S FINDING.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

THAMES, this day

Delivering his reserved verdict concerning the electrocution of Alexander Frederick Feisst, a nine-year-old boy whose body was found under his parents' residence in Beach Road, on March 10, the coroner, Mr. W. Bongard, to-day fouud that death was due to electrocution on March 9, through coming in contact with a totally inefficient "earth" wire, which had been made "alive" by the inadvertent cross-over of the main lead-in wires by some person approximately 18 months ago.

The coroner added a rider strongly advising that a more efficient system ol inspection and attention to defective electrical installation be adopted by the borough authorities, also that stricter enforcement of the regulations governing electrical supply and wiring be institute! forthwith.

The coroner found that Frederick Ditchfield, a former occupier of the house, when employed by the Borough Council some eighteen months ago, endeavoured to remedy a defective supply to the residence without authority. Ditchfield had admitted replacing the service mains from the street pole to the house, and the coroner expressed the opinion that he was also responsible for installing an undergauge wire found as part of the lead-in installation, and also for the apparently inadvertent cross-over of the lead-in wires, thus causing the d jfective "earth" wire to be "alive."

The coroner saict that when the borough supply wns changed from direct to alternating current in 1929, the earthing of house installation was not done in accordi.nce with the wiring regulations. Had the local authority carried out peiiodienl inspections, as required by the regulations, this fault in the service must have been readily detected.