LATE CABLE NEWS

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 3230, 10 June 1924, Page 5

LATE CABLE NEWS

FEARFUL ELECTROCUTION,

ELECTRICITY'S LETHAL POWEBS,

A MAD VENTURE.

(By Cable—Press Association). (Received 11 a.m.)

PARIS, June 9.

An extraordinary fatality at Saint Dre occurred as the result of a controversy between two electricians as to the lethal power of electric currents. One named Royters insisted that it was ■■ possible without danger to climb to.thetop of a standard carrying high tension current, provided he did not touch the wires. He proceeded to climb a standard to which wires carrying current off 65,000 volts were attached. As he neared the top his companion heard a tremendous report and saw Royters * body disappear in flames, being literally carbonised by the current. Every shred of clothing vanished. SWIMMING THE THAMES. !j" ON HORSEBACK. % $ : WEMBLEY COWBOY'S NABEOVf ESCAPE. 's? - , .. _ • ■•.'. L] (By Cabfe—Press Association). » (Received* 1± &'™-) ;» LONDON, June & Extraordinary scenes were witnessed by thousands of spectators at Kew Bridge when two cowboys tried to swim the swollen Thames on horses. They were swept off in midstream and narrowly escaped drowning. As the result of this episode the horse race across" the Thames in which thirty-nine Wembley cowboys were to participate was 5 abandoned. Floundering through few feet of Thames mud, cowboys Aldrich and Walter urged horses into deep water where they wore caught by the strong flood current and swept like corks downstream. The crowd had hitherto regarded the affair as a joke, but now realised the men and horses were fighting for life. A rowboat in which was a cowboy with a lassoo and Walker's sister, who is a champion swimmer, made desperate efforts to reach them. Walker.was rescued and tho exhausted horse lassooecf and tied to the boat.

Meanwhile Aldrich, who was unable to swim, was unseated and disappeared downstream. When his head reappeared Miss Walker plunged in and piloted the cowboy to the shore. The horse reached the bank.