"SEEING THE SPARKS FLY”

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11649, 13 October 1923, Page 5

"SEEING THE SPARKS FLY”

TRANSMISSION LINE DAMAGED. ASHBURTON PLUNGED IN DARKNESS. Per Pres« Association. ASHBURTON. October 12. Rlioderick Mcßae (15). of Metliven, and William Henry Fagan (17), of Springburn, were charged at,court today with wilfully damaging the Coleridge transmission line at Mount Hutt. Mr Buchanan, who apepared for Fagan, pleaded guilty, and "said the Act provided for a penalty of £SOO, plus cost of damage. This line ran through tussock country, sparsely inhabited by people uninitiated in the ways of electricity. Neither boy realised he was doing harm when he created a short circuit by throwing a piece of wire in order to see sparks fly. Their action plunged Ashburton in darkness for six hours, and caused damage to the head works. When arrested, the boys told the constable that if pieces of wire fell near the poles they would have climbed up and removed them. Such a course, added counsel, would have instantly killed them. He urged tho necessity for the better education of residents respecting electricity. These boys were not characteristically mischievous., and the cases were the first of their kind.

Mr Max-Gibbon. for the department, said the damage amounted to £IOO. The magistrate said he would treat severelv future eases. In the present case the law did not allow birching. Each boy was fined £2, and costs £3 18s sd.