DISTRESSING FATALITY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20400, 5 May 1928, Page 11

DISTRESSING FATALITY.

A CARPENTER ELECTROCUTED. ALLEGED DEFECTIVE WIRING APPARATUS. « A distressing fatality occurred yesterday shortly before noon at the scene of the demolition of the old Post Office in Princes street, when James Crawford, a carpenter, living at Corstorphine road, Caversham, was electrocuted whilst working near the crusher. The actual cause of the electrocution has so far not been discovered. It appears that immediately beneath the crusher is a temporary structure of woodwork, partly supported by an iron bar. This bar stretches across the face of the clay and rock mound on which the crusher is placed, and is apparently embedded in the masonry at either end. As it is firm and set close to the steep face the bar has been used by workmen to climb up in order to reach the crusher. Crawford was seen making his way to the crusher by this means to repair a portion of tho chute, when he called out tor the power to be turned off, and it was then found that he had received a severe shock through the bar. Obviously the unfor tunate man had grasped the bar, having no suspicion that anything was amiss, and the current gripped him at once. “ Keep away, I am electrocuted,” was Crawford’s last plucky cry to his mates as they hastened to his aid. On hearing his cry, his workmate rushed to the switch, where he als> received a 'shock, but the current had not sufficient strength to harm him. _ He eventually turned off the switch by giving it a blow with a piee of wood. Crawford fell to the ground unconscious, and he died in about three minuets l)f Speight, who was summoned, found that nothing could be done for the unfortunate man. Though the bar, through which Crawford had received the fatal shock, had been used for a considerable time by the men as an aid in climbing up and down the mound, on no previous occasion had there been any sign that it was connected with the electric power line. The sudden development of a defect in the wiring system ap'peared to electrify the whole of the framework, for several other employees received minor shocks. After the power had been cut off the demolition operations ceased in_ order to permit of a thorough investigation of the plant. INQUEST OPENED. An inquest was opened at the Morgue in the afternoon, Mr H. W. Bundle S.M., sitting as coroner. Sergeant M Carthy represented the police. , Evidence of identification was given by Cecil Rawlings Murray, manager of Messrs White and Co., in whose employment Crawford was at the time of his death. , . . The inquest was adjourned tc a date to be fixed later. . The deceased was a married man, oo years of age.