POWER LEAKAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 14, 17 July 1939, Page 11

POWER LEAKAGE

FENCE ELECTRIFIED

TWO PEOPLE SUFFER SHOCKS

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, Tins Day

. Charged with electricity from a radio mast stay which came in contact with a faulty house service, a wire fence around the house adjoining the Castor Bay store was responsible for two persons suffering shocks on Saturday. One of them, Thomas Arthur Lord, married, aged 24, a labourer, employed by the Housing Department at Castor Bay, Was severely shaken, and a boy received a slight shock.

Taking hold of the top wire of the low fence to climb over it, Mr. Lord received the full charge of 230 volts. His cries were heard by a woman in the house, who sent a friend to investigate. It was found that. Mr. Lord was still clasping the wire firmly while lying on the ground and struggling violently. To release him two men had to pull him away by his clothing.

Although he suffered no burning, Mr. Lord was in great pain until treated by a doctor. Later he was brought to ihe Auckland Hospital in a St. John ambulance.

While attempting to climb. over the same fence, shortly after the mishap to Mr. Lord, a boy, on grasping one of the four wires, was thrown back by the current. He did not require medical attention.

An inspection by an officer of the Waitemata Electric Power Board revealed that there was a leakage of current from a wire into the iron roof of the store. A wire stay on to a radio mast, passing over tlie ' edge of the roof, carried the current down to the fence, where the stay was fixed.