A BOY ELECTROCUTED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 154, 24 March 1908, Page 7

A BOY ELECTROCUTED.

GRASPS ELECTRIC WIRE. A HOME OF COMPASSION INMATE. - AV sad tragedy: occurred; yesterday - afternoon to mar tho happy tranquillity of the Home of Compassion at Island Bay. About 100: yards from the Home, in a' -paddock,, the ends of an electric-light wire .were .lying,. the wire having been blown down by the ,rccont galck. The children had been carefully warned not to approach this wire, and the ; authorities had been notifiedby those in charge of the Home of tho break. The boy, with two companions, 'was playing in ,tho ■ paddock, and must have caught hold of the ends of the wire, in fact, his 'playmates saw him do so, and also observed him fall immediately to the ground. Sisters Carmel. and Antony rushed to his assistance and .carried him into the Home. Dr. Young was called, but the boy was' quite dead. Mothor Mary Joseph • Aubert. then reported the matter to tho police.. Dr. Young stated 1 'last night that the. shock must liavo killed the boy almost.immediately. . His finger and thumb were burned away at the ends. This probably accounted for the; fact that neithor of the sisters who. removed tho body were injured by contact, tho boy's ' hand having ' fallen away from the wire. The body was Mso slightly burned about the" chest. A similar accident,- said. Dr., Young, occurred in Wellington about 13 years ago, a-child .picking up a wire lying in n street after a, storm, and! a companion catching hold' of him. Though badly injured; noithcr of''tho boys was killed: 1 . It ;was ascertained from tho electric lighting authorities last evening that a ; ,voltage of 2000 was on the wires at tho time. An inquest will be held this afternoon.