POWER LINE ACCIDENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 111, 13 May 1933, Page 8

POWER LINE ACCIDENT

NARROW ESCAPE FOR FARMER. (Own Correspondent). RAETIHI, May 12. When the inspecting engineer from the Public Works Department paid his last visit to the Ractihi installation and works he considered some trees were too close to the lines, and notified the Borough Council accordingly, and the report was read at the meeting on Thursday evening. For the first time for 18 months there.was an interruption in the supply of power, Mr. Rubio, farmer, Valley Road, was cutting down some of tfyese trees that were considered too close to the wires, on Thursday, when the branches fell on the high tension wires. He at once received a shock, but the Borough Council had recently installed an earth leakage relay and this at cnee chtcw out the breaker and the power was immediately cut off. The borough staff was soon on the spot and found that Mr. Rubie had narrowly escaped being electrocuted. The high tensions wires were torn down :>nd about £2O to £3O damage done. Tho men worked hard and in about one and a-quarter hours the power was again on. Referring to the. incident at the Borough Council meeting, the chairman of the Electricity Committee, Cr. W. H. Sandford, said that when the engineer requested the installation of this earth relay it was thought to be an expensive addition, but it had practically saved tho man’s life. The staff was also to be congratulated on the promptness with which they had power available after the accident. The inspecting engineer reported that some other trees were too close to the wires and should be immediately removed.