ELECTRICIAN'S DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18174, 21 August 1922, Page 6

ELECTRICIAN'S DEATH.

KILLED AT SWITCHBOARD. [by TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] HAMILTON, Saturday. The inquest into. the circumstances surrounding the death of Ernest Holt, aged 46, who was electrocuted yesterday while working at the railway transformer station at Frankton Junction, was resumed before Mr. H. A. Young, coroner, this morning. Mr. G. W. Wylee, of Wellington, assistant signal engineer of railways, represented the department, for which deceased was working. G. W. Carter, electric line erector, said that he was working in company with deceased and several others at the back of the switchboard at the transformer. Deceased, who was in charge of the party, was standing on an insulated table, over which was placed a heavy rubber mat. He was fitting clips on to what weretermed buzz bars. Witness saw Holt suddenly double up, and with a moan, fall , back into a companion's arms. He was carried into the open air, and artificial means of respiration were tried without success. The men working on the awitch- ' board had been instructed to wear rubber , gloves, and not to work oo the busz bars until the current was switched off. Deceased was not wearing gloves, and the current was not switched off. t Albert Percival, electric line worker, fave evidence of a corroborative nature. ►qceased, himself had switched on the ' current a few minutes before the fatality. > Dr. Pinfold said that when he arrived 1 on the scene of the fatality, he ejected ' ether into the man's heart, but he then » was undoubtedly dead. In witness' opinion death was duo to paralysis or the i respiratory organs and of the heart. The. coroner found that deceased was , accidentally killed through being electro cuted. . ,