SHOCK FROM A FENCE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1931, Page 11

SHOCK FROM A FENCE

“ALIVE WITH ELECTRICITY.” WIRELESS NEAR POWER LINE. The risk run by erecting wireless masts and aerials too close to power lines was exemplified on Wednesday evening at the' residence of Dr. H. L. Bowell, Point Chevalier. . On opening a door leadiug to his fowlrun, says the New Zealand Herald, the doctor received a very distinct electric shock. He made investigations and discovered that the Wire fence surrounding his. section was “alive” with electricity, and it was also possible to receive a shock by touching tho catch on the front gate. The fact that the doctor was standing on wet ground made the shock more severe. Earlier in the day he had found one of his ducks dead in. the fowlrun, and he assumes that it was electrocuted through touching the wire netting attached to the fence, which was also “alive” with electricity. On the fence at the end of the section a neighbour had erected a galvanised pipe wireless ma.st and stayed it with galvanised wire stays. 'This was near a power line. It is thought that the electricity reached Dr. Bowell’s fence by way of the stays and wireless mast. Fences adjoining that of the doctor were also charged with electricity. Dr. Bowell warned his neighbours of the danger. Invited to comment on the doctor’s experience, Mr. R. H. Bartley, general manager of the Auckland Electric Power Board, stated that occurrences of the kind described were uncommon. The caqse in the present instance probably was a leakage from the high tension lines to at some point. At all events, the magnitude of the shock would not be sufficient to hurt anybody, at least in the circumstances outlined. If one of the board's high power lines were to break, automatically it would become “dead.”