AN AWFUL FATE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9222, 26 May 1910, Page 5

AN AWFUL FATE.

A LINEMAN ELECTROCUTED.

(Peb Press Association.) DUNEDEM, May 25. This afternoon a horrible accident occurred to two linemen, who were shifting a low-teneion electrical wire outside Messrs A. and T. Burt's foundry.

James Henderson got his hand upon one of the wiree, and was immediately electrocuted.

Jamee Kinch, a companion of Henderson's, mounted the ladder and attempted to take him from his position, but he himself was caught by one of the wires and received a terrific shock, which left him helpless. Kinch was got down, and upon his removal to the hospital he quickly recovered. Henderson was lowered to the ground with some difficulty, and it was then seen that his hands were burnt to the bone. He was taken to the hospital, but examination showed that he wae dead.

Mr R. Brinsley, whose worke are right opposite Burt's, eaye he heard an explosion just like a gun going off. He looked out, and obsepyed the man lying over the arm of a post where he had been working. The man who had been assisting .him slipped down the ladder and ran into Burt'e'to get the power cut off. The head of the injured man had dropped by this time, and he wae lying right across the arm. Another man then ran up the ladder, and put his hands on the live wires, and the next, instant he lay over the arm like the other man.

Then Mr Highley, Mr Brinsley's foreman (at great personal risk) ran over the street and went up the ladder. He took a rope with him and fastened the first man'e lege to the ladder. -.He pushed the man'e hands off the wire, and then the power was cut off. Another oye-witnees says several onlookers called out to the eecond man not to touch the live wires, but he seemed to take hold of one in each hand.

Attention was first drawn to the acci dent by the loud report and flash.