ELECTROCUTED.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 787, 18 August 1916, Page 9

ELECTROCUTED.

j ACCIDENT AT TAI TAPU. ' j INQUEST ON THE VICTIM. . j A tragic death befel Patrick Joseph I Kerr, a linesman in the employ of | the Public Works Department, at Tai Tapu, yesterday afternoon. He was working on the cross arm of a pole, and in rising from a sitting : position his head came into contact with a 11,000 volt wire, and he was killed instantaneously. ! An inquest was held at the Morgue | last evening before the Coroner (Mr |T. A. B. Bailey). Mr L. Birks was present on behalf of the department, | and Mr E. J. Howard, secretary of jthc Linesmen's Union, attended on behalf of the relatives. Herbert William Brooks, engineer I foreman, identified the body, and | stated that deceased was employed as a linesman by the Public Works Department. Deceased understood I the danger of the work. He was employed at Tai Tapu at the time of the accident, and was under the charge of the ganger, witness not being present. j Frank Patrick Meyer, ganger, said that deceased was working under him at Tai Tapu. He had been in' the gang for about five months, and during that time had shown himself to be a thoroughly competent man. Deceased was working on the ''ooo volt line, which was dead at the time, j He was silting on the lowest arm of the post, tapping the lines above | him on to a cross line. Witness did ! not actually see the accident occur, but saw the wire fuse and deceased j fall. All precautions were taken, I and witness had had two ladders put I tip- the pole to prevent the j necessity of crossing on the arm. in .reply to Sergeant Clarkson,! witness said he did not know what reason deceased had for standing: up. The men were instructed not lw| shift-from a sitting position while on fire ladder. To:Mr E. J. Howard: The current was cut off about a foot from the: insulator. To Mr L. Birks: Deceased had worked on similar poles and wires: front; Christ church lo Tai Tapu. j Mr Howard asked if the work could not be done from platforms on the poles. Witness said he thought it would often be awkward. The Coroner said that he did not know of any reason why there should not be portable platforms. Robert Jeal, a linesman, deposed that he was working on the same pole as the deceased with his back to him. He heard a buzzing noise, and saw deceased standing up with his head in contact with the wire above. He had finished his work and was' about to descend, when he jumped up too quickly and came in contact! with the 11,000 volt wire. Witness \ grasped deceased by the coat tail andj laid him across four dead wires. He I received a slight shock. The line I burned through when witness lifted I deceased. James Nee, a linesman, gave evi- 1 deuce that he was on the ground at the time of the accident. Witness j heard a noise, and saw Jeal holding! the deceased up, and the wire part-! Ed and fell. He knew of no reason j why deceased should stand up. The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased accidentally met his death at Tai Tapu through his head: coming into contact with an electric I wire, and added a rider lo the effect j that the department should consider; the question of creeling some contrivance lo minimise the danger to] the men's lives while working on the poles. Mr Birks expressed the depart-! ment's appreciation of Ihe action of; the witness Jeal. Me did a very plucky action, and if the shock had been less severe he would have saved Ken's life.