THE UNSEEN DEATH

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12323, 18 December 1925, Page 7

THE UNSEEN DEATH

HOW TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC AGAINST ELECTROCUTION BROKEN HIGH-TENSION WIRES SAFEGUARDS MOST NECESSARY IN COUNTRY DISTRICTS The distressing double, tragedy which occurred at Hamilton, through an old man and his grandson being electrocuted upon coming in contact with a wire fence which had been heavily charged with current from a fallen power line, has drawn attention to a serious and increasing danger to life throughout the country.

•Yesterday a well-known Wellington citizen who has considerable knowledge on the subject and is weil qualified to express opinions spoke to a “Times" representative, expressed his deep concern, and suggested that some protection against the danger should be afforded. Referring to the report he asked the questions:— “Did the staff of the Central Power Board know there had been an accident to the power line? “Are they equipped with meters or instruments which will show if there has been an accident to a line and if it is touching the ground, and if so what are the instructions to the man in charge?” It was pointed out that so far as the Post and Telegraph Department is concerned, the department very wisely placed a fuse in each individual telephone wire to protect the public from any high tension electric currents or from lightning. Could not the Public | Works Department, Power Boards, and Corporations responsible for electricity undertaking* protect the public from the greater danger by insulating a panel of the wire fences on private property over which the high tension Wires pass? To do this two double sets cf posts were needed to be put in the fence where a broken live wire would he likely to come in contact. The fence wires would he severed at each end and separate wires put in this short section, with additional wires running into the ground eo that they would act 88conductors. The posts could be painted red to indicate these danger sections, and the public would soon come to realise the meaning of them. It was urged that the safeguard was more necessary in the country than in the towns, far it was in the open country that the live wires crossed private property, and a 'broken line might set miles of wire fencing “alive,” constituting a terrible danger to all in the district. There had been several tragedies of the kind in the last year or- two, and he had been greatly concerned about the rapidly increasing and unseen risk.

WARN THE CHILDREN TO-DAY The gentleman in question considered the matter so urgent and dangerous that children before leaving school for the holidays should be specially warned never to touch or go near broken telegraph, telephone or power wireß of any kind. Neither should adults except experts touch them. The best thing to do was to warn all children away and telephone' the authorities at once in the matter, as they would dispatch men to attend to the matter at once, and would no doubt cut off the power from that section until the danger was repaired Although schools were breakingup to-day it might be possible to give the warning. So faT as broken high tension wires in the city were concerned it was submitted that the large volume of current released upon a broken power wire touching the ground would cause the meter at the electric_ light and power station to jump considerably on the instant, and should warn those in charge that something had happened. The current could then be cut out. The difficulty would probably be in ti acing the section where the break had occurred. “Are the authorities using all the knowledge in their possession for the purpose of safeguarding the public?” was another question asked.

A similar tragedy took place in a southern district a little while - ago when it was disclosed at the inquest that the officer at the power station knew there had been a sudden accident to the line, but the engineer in charge stated that he had not issued instructions for the officer to immediately switch off the current until the line was again made safe. The insulation of a section of the fence tinder the transmission wire would in the event of the. latter breaking restrict its death-dealing, powers to that: section of fencing. Give the posts of those sections a distinctive mark, and they would have something analagons to the fuse on the telephone lines provided by the F. and T. Department.