LITTLE GIRLS DEATH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 199, 26 August 1935, Page 6

LITTLE GIRLS DEATH

THE PUTORINO FATALITY EVIDENCE AT INQUEST All iuquCbt was belt! al- I'utuiiuu, near Rata, on Saturday morning by Mr. J’. C. Wilson (coroner) into tne ilAjUh of Llorien Olga bmitn, daughter of Air. and Mr*. D. Smith, aged 7 yea ib. After identification of the body, evidence was given by Patsy Martha Green, a child of JU years ot. age, who was not sworn, but earnestly stated that she would speak the truth. She stated that she had been to school with Llorien and in the afternoon left school with her and three or four other.-. When they got to Hayward s woul-wa&h Llorien said .she was going across the padduck fur a short cut Lu her home. »Sbc went up to the fence and stooped down to gel through. She bad just caught bold of one of the wires when she called cut ‘•Help.’' “We looked back and saw her lying (in the ground. Mavis Signal and J. then went back and told Mr. Ellis, w!d* lives near, and he came and took Llorien away from the fence.” conItinucd witness. ‘‘She did not say anything mure than ‘Help.’ 1 did not see that one of the electric power lines was down, neither, I think, did Llorien. She was alright when she ieft i-. go through the fence. She often went that way home.” David J. McK. .Ellis, a tanner residing at Putorino, stated that he was called by a little girl and was told that a little girl named Smith was lying near the toad fence with cue hand on the wire ami appeared dead. With his son he went over to the child and at oio-c suspected that she was eleutro•ute.d. lie tiheii summoned Dr. Dick. The child was wearing goloshes. Witness placed his bund on the child’s leg and. receiving no shock, he took hold of the goloshes ami pullvd the child from the fence. Her hand was lying on the wire. There were no signs of spark:-. He found that a 11110 of the electric power lines leading I" the wool-wash bad broken and the end was twisted round the wire in the fence. In his opinion, it might have become twisted around in some way alter breaking away from the pole. He then • look i iic f luid lo his hornfe

Robert George Cooper, employed by the Wanganui-Rangitikci Electricpower Board, stationed at Jluuterville. stated that about half past three on Thursday evening he received a, ling that one of the power lines was down at Putorino and that an accident had occurred. He immediately cut, off all power and proceeded to Putorino, where he found a 239 vult service wire leading to Hayward’s wool-wash broken in the centre. The broken end had been carried along the fence nearby and twisted round the top wire of the fence. It was an insulated wire and the broken ends of it had come in contact with the wires of the fence, thereby livening up all the wires in the fence. Whilst taking down the broken wiie lie noticed that it had been wound round the top wire of the fence by some person. T’he wire was pulled along Ibe fence ami he did not think that it was possible for the broken wire to have got into that position by falling down. About eight chains from the point of contact the barbed (top) wire was broken and the severed end made contact with the second wire, thus livening all the wires in the fence nearby. The wire was not severed from the pole to the fence. There was a loop of louse wire from the fence lying on the ground. Dr. W. IS. K. Dick stated that he was called to Putorino to attend an accident and saw the child. Llorien Smith lying o.i a bed at Mr. Ellis’ home, face downwards. »She was being massaged by Mrs. Harm. He made an examination and found that the child was dead. There was a scar (burn; on the right wrist and he at once formed the opinion that the child had died from un electric shock. 'Tiic coroner stated that it wa& a most extraordinary accident brought about by extraordinary circumstances. It was fortunate that some of the other children were not also harmed but they had evidently been taught at school to be veiy careful with regard Io [lower lines. It was also very desirable tihat when persons saw any tiling wrung with the po-wer lines they should at once take care to give information of the fact. A verdict was returned (hut death was due to electric shock caused by the child coming accidentally into contat with an electric-power wire. J’he Wanganui K’angitikei Eli’ctiicpower Board was represented by Mi. F. Purnell (chairman» ami Mr. Webb (engineer), ami Mr. Smith was represented by counsel. Uuiistable W. J. J\ Brown, of Hunt erv iile, conducted the inquiry.