AGENCY OF A SPARROW

Otago Witness, Issue 3590, 2 January 1923, Page 52

AGENCY OF A SPARROW

SOLDIER ELECTROCUTED. A returned soldier named Frank Webb, aged 33 years, was electrocuted on Sunday morning-at the transformer station in Bowler road, Te Aroha (says the New Zealand Herald). At the inquest evidence was given showing that Webb examined the transformer and isolated all the switches on the platform. He also examined the oil switch, and called out to his companion, “all safe.” Webb then went on the platform and found the 3000volt switch all right. He was opening the centre fu3e box when his companion, Lockyer, noticed an electric flash strike his forehead, Webb immediately falling to the platform. Lockyer climbed up and found Webb apparently dead. He also found a dead sparrow beside the body. All the switches had been turned off. and there should have been no current passing through any of the wires. Cross-examined by the Power Board’s solicitor, Lockyer said all the board’s lir.emen were supplied with copies of the safety rules. According to the instructions, Webb should have connected the wire to earth, but did not do so. Alfred Waters, the board’s electrical inspector, said that an hour after the fatality he tested all the wires and the transformer, and found no breakage. On the isolated 6ids of the air broke switch one cf the 11,000 volt leads between the isolated part of the air brake ewitch had come unsoldered, and was showing s : gns of having earthed to the oil switch. Also one of the 3000-volt fuse boxes was open, and another was partly-open No other faults oould be found. He saw the sparrow, which had its beak and one leg partly burned off. It appeared to have been recently killed On a further inspection he found an are on the wire connecting the knife with the air switch and the oil switch; also an arc on the air brake switch clip which the knife would fit into if closed. He was of opinion that the sparrow got across between the knife end the '-lip, thus inducting 11,000 volts into the wires where Webb’s shoulders would be. The deceased was a careful and competent workman. There was no defect on the switches, and consequently no leakage. Had the switch been fully extended to nine inches, the witness considered the bird would have been incapable of reaching across. The deceased should have observed that the air gap was only four inches. He added that, had the board's instructions been carefullycarried out there would have been no accident. i The Coroner returned a verdict that Webb met his death by electrocution, no blame being attachable to anyone. Webb is a single man, and was born at Torquay, England. He came to New Zealand from Victoria, where his parents reside.