Kite-Flying Near Power Lines May Cause Deaths

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28679, 1 September 1958, Page 8

Kite-Flying Near Power Lines May Cause Deaths

Last week, about 85 kites were removed from overhead power lines by the staff of the Municipal Electricity Department. Fifteen of these kites were taken from 11,000-volt lines, and in one case a child attempting to free his kite by pulling on its string caused a flash-over in Rockinghorse road, which resulted in the burning out of two 11,000-volt conductors and the interruption of the supply to South Brighton. Entangled kites caused interruption to the electricity supply in Rangiora on Friday and Saturday. Last evening, the electric?! engineer for the M.E.D. (Mr W. J. G. Johnstone) issued three warnings about flying kites. He said: ( <1) Parents and teachers should warn children not to fly kites near overhead lines. I (2) If a kite did become entangled, no attempt should be made to free it by pulling on the string. This could cause serious injury to the child and widespread interruption to the power (3) No wire or metal threads should be used in the construction of the kite. Two of the kites removed last week had metailsed thread in. their tails and these would have caused an immediate flash-over if contact had been made with bare line conductors. Mr Johnstone said that the troubles with kites this year had been considerably more serious than in previous years. The danger of children suffering serious injuries, especially if they pulled at the string of an entangled kite was very real at all times; but the risk was much greater if the weather dampened kite strings. “The removal of the kites has seriously interfered with the de-

partment’s work. As the power waggon which should be used for replacing street lamps has to be used to remove the kites it was now now impossible to replace burned out street lamps as soon as they were reported. ’ * The tempers of the harassed members of the staff were not improved by the common .greeting from small boys—“why have you been so long. I have been waiting a whole hour for you to come and get my kite,’’ said Mr Johnstone. The interruptions to the electricity supply in Rangiora on Friday and Saturday afternoons were caused by kites becoming entangled with high tension power lines. Five kites were entangled with the power lines on Friday, but only one interruption was made to the supply, which was cut off to remove a kite from the high-ten-sion wires. The other four kites were across low-tension wires and the council’s electrical staff was able to remove them without cutting off the power.. The supply was off for about a quarter of • an hour, from 3.30 p.m. and there was another short interruption to the supply again on Saturday at about 4 p.m. to enable the removal of another kite from the high tension wires.