ELECTROCUTED.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 19400, 28 August 1928, Page 11

ELECTROCUTED.

LINESMAN FALLS ON LIVE WIRES. (PMSS ASSOCIATION XWMOBAJI.) GISBOENE, August 27. The circumstances attending the death of Roy Gray Bartlett, 27 years of age, who was electrocuted on Wednesday while working on the Waimata district extension portion of the Poverty Bay Electric Power Board's scheme, were enquired into to-day by the Coroner, Mr Levey. Evidence given by the foreman of the party was to the effect that Bartlett and another were sent to bring a ladder to the pole next to the one at which the fatality occurred, and were out of sight of the other workers who were in the river-bed.. After Bartlett had been gone'ten minutes witness received a report from the men on the ether side or the river that smoke and flames were coming from the top of the plug hole. Witness went to the scene and saw Bartlett on top of the pole lying across the wooden arms, one arm being across one line and the back of his neck across another. The current was cut off 'and the body lowered to the ground. There were six wires on the arms, three live wires with a voltage of 6000 and three dead. 'So far as he knew Bartlett had no i reason to ascend the ladder. He had ! not acted contrary to instructions, but had exceeded instructions. The reason Bartlett had ascended the pole was that two dead wires were bridged together, and evidently he thought they should not be like that and went up to disconnect them. There was no mistake in the bridging,, but to an inexperienced man it might have looked Ee a fault. - If Bartlett thought something was wrong witness admitted that it was his duty to fix it and thus safeguard his mates, or. if any mistake had been made all the men working m the river-bed were in danger. If Bartlett had believed something was wrong he did the best thing he could j The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased accidentally, fell from a pole on to the electric wires, and that be Ascended the pole for the Purpose of effecting certain repairs which, in his opinion, were necessary.