ELECTROCUTED

Feilding Star, Volume 4, Issue 676, 7 January 1926, Page 5

ELECTROCUTED

FEILDING WORKMAN LOSES HIS LIFE MANCHESTER STREET FATAL- . ITt. Through coming in contact with high tension wires while working on an electric pole yesterday, Mr Joseph Southee, an employee of the Marin-watu-Orona Potter Board, lost, liis life. Mr Southee was n married man, with a family of two children, and resided in Grey street. Since the Power Board took over the borough pant, the engineers have been engaged in changing over the system from a single-phase to threephase. This necessitates larger poles and the replacing of the old insulated wires of 230 volts with other wires of higher tension/ A. gang of men in charge of Mr Henderson were at work yesterday oh the pole in Manchester street at, the Batik ol New South Wales corner, where a good deal,of work has-to he done in switching over. M r Southee was' on the hig pole alongside Messrs Harford and Sons’ shop, engaged in screwing on a cross arm. .He was seated on one cross arm while placing the bolts on the new one above him. He had the regulation belt, on, but was not using o loves. Suddenly a. fellow'- workman noticed that he was leaning back, with his hand gripping one of the wires above him. The workman at once rushed up, cut the wires surrounding him, and rescued the nil conscious form, which was ftkl °«fc 011 the verandah of Messrs Harford s balcony. Mr Southee was heard to groan a little as he was being taken off- tiie pole, but apparently life had departed by the time he was rescued. The workmen applied resusoitative methods, but when Dr. Cameroh arrived a few minutes Inter he saw at once that the man was dead. . Examination of the body later revealed a deep burn on the under part of the left thigh and other burns on the right thumb and forefinger. The cross arm on which Mr Southee ■ had been sitting was then examined, olid the cause of the iatality was fairly plain. At the end of the.cross arm an insulator holding tne wiie leading to a private house close by. The wire was looped over this in the usual way, and then bound with copper wire. Though trie wire was insulated originally, the copper binder was exposed, and must have been in actual contact with the live wire underneath. Mr Sou thee evidently sat on the loop., arid then touched the .wire above him, thus completing Lhe circuit. The voltage was • only 230. which is not necessarily total, but appareniy the unfortunate man was* held in the position of contact and made unconscious by the initial contact. The current would continue to pasS through Ids hotly until the wires were out. When the loop was examined afterwards the insulation round ‘the l/imler was found to lie blackened from burning. 'Flic fellow workmen and the people in the vicinity of course were greatly distressed at the fatality. The Power Board office in Palmerston North was at once informed, and Mi’ Donaldson (assistant engineer) and Mr K. Eglinton (secretary) hurried over to Feilding. Mr Mferson was away with a. gang beyond Kimbolton, and it was. not possible to inform him. till late in the evening, The Power Board will undertake the responsibility of the funeral arrangements.

The late Mr Southee resided "with his family in Grey street. He was a quiet man, firm in his friendships, devoted to his family. A member of the Foresters’ Order, lie was "really esteemed l>y his brethren. The fact that he met his death while at his daily occupation, and that in the service of the community, accentuates the distress which is felt. The truest sympathy is extended to the bereaved family. The funeral will leave the. Presbyterian Church, Grey street, at 1 p.m. to-morrow.

THE INQUEST. Mr E. Goodbehere, Coroner, held an inquest this morning, at the Courthouse. Sergfc. Cahill led the evidence. Francis Spooner, an employee of the Power Board, stated that the deceased, Joseph Daniel Southee, was a pole fitter in the employ of the Board. Mr Southee was fitting an arm to a pole in Manchester street, witness being about two chains away, on the ground. Witness noticed the deceased leaning hack against a live wire, the safety belt holding him in that position. Tliree s minutes before that he was quite all right. A couple of seconds afterwards he, saw the deceased throw up a hand, and he concluded Mr Southee was in trouble. Witness at once called out to his mates, who ran up the ladder and cut the wires, releasing the deceased. They placed the body on the verandah of Messrs Harford’s shop balcony.

Witness could not say whether Mr Southee was dead o r not when released. Artificial respiration was attempted, and the doctor and police at once notified. The work in which Mr Sopthee was engaged was not dangerous with proper care, unless lie came in contact with a live wire. Mr Shakes, Public Trustee representative, asked witness if the hinder round - the insulator .was covered. No, the hinders are never covered. Deceased may have come in contact with the binder, thus getting the contact.

Dr. Cameron stated he had been e a lled to the scene of the accident and on arriving had found deceased's body.lying on the. roof of the balcony of Messrs Harford’s shop, his mates carrying out, artificial respiration. Examination showed the hi an was not breathing and there was no pulse. Artificial respiration was continued but without .avail. The man was undoubtedly dead when witness arrived. Examination showed there was a burn on tile right forefinger and right thumb, an another liur n oil flic inner side of the left thigh. Hie clothing also being burnt in this region. The burn on the thigh was circular about fin. in diameter, and penetrated to the fat. The burns on the finger and thumb gave the ini press id n of being caused by touching a live wire. Death was in Iris opinion due fo heart failure as the result of electric shook. William Turner stated lie was the first one to reach the deceased, o>Ler the accident, and found he was gasping. Deceased was cut loose and placed on the verandah, and in witness’ opinion was still alive. Witness applied a rtificial respiration nil til the doctor arrived.

To the Coroner, witness said the work was dangerous, and precautions were taken. Deceased olid not require to come in contact with live wires unless by a slip or accident. Deceased had 12 to 14 inches of the cross Bar to sit on, between the insulators. Witness had no dpinon to give as to what caused the. accident. Deceased Was always a careful man in his work. He was not in the habit of taking risks.

The Coroner: You know this is hazardous work. Can you suggest anything which can he done to lessen the danger ? —No, .1 think everything is being done to lessen the danger. Jt is just a man’s luck. Alfred Hector Henderson, foreman of the gang, gave evidence simi-af to that of the previous witnesses regarding the rescue of the deceased, saying the ma H \va s breathing when taken off the pole. Witness corroborated previous evidence.

To tlie Coroner: All this work is dangerous, and all possible precautions were taken. Gloves would only have been cumbersome to the deceased in the. work he was doing, and there was no necessity to wear them. Witness had no opinion as to what caused the mail to throw his hand up and thus come in contact with a live wire. He may overbalanced ahd thrown his hand up. 'There Was nothing witness could suggest, in carrying on this particular work, which could be adopted to lessen the risk. The deceased was a careful man, and had done more dangerous work than this. 'Hie witness added that the only way to obviate the danger would lie to cut out the town while the change over,work was being done —and that would take several months. To Mr Shakes: Witness could nol say how deceased got the burn on bis thigh. Constable El.stone gave formal evi-

denoe. The Coroner said : Having heard the evidence he could arrive at only one decision, namely, that the deceased came by Iris death through eomnig in contact with electric wires. The occurrence was entirely accidental. It was somewhat strange that a workman engaged in this work should have met If is death in this manner. Every cafe had been taken by the authorities. Witnesses could not suggest any oilier precautions than those already provided. It depended greatly On the workmen themselves exorcising every care. There would always be great danger which could not be avoided. It was a sad thing Lhat a man in the prime of life should bo cut off so suddenly in this manner. No blame was attachable to any one, eitlie,. to the workmen or the authorities. The verdict would ho in accordance with the medical evidence, that death was due to heart failure caused through an electric shock.