A BOY AND A "LIVE" WIRE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1188, 25 July 1911, Page 4

A BOY AND A "LIVE" WIRE.

SENSATIONAL OCCURRENCE IN OHANGI ROAD. The vagaries of electricity were forcibly illustrated at Northland yesterday morning, when a boy named Clark (son of thu elevator attendant at the Sussex Chambers)' picked up a telephone wire which had been displaced by the gale, and which had fallen across an electric lighting wire and had become highly charged with electricity. The lad was found lying on Orangi Road covered in mud, with the livo wire coiled round bis legs. The condition of the bov was first discovered by Miss Twist, daughter of Mr. T. W. Twist, who immediately went out to render assistance. Mr. Twist first attempted to drag the boy out of the wire entanglement, and iu doing so received a pretty heavy shock. Ho then managed to get the boy's legs clear by picking away the wires with his boots, and having freed the youngster carried him apparently lifeless'into his house. There Mr. and Mrs. Twist set about restoring animation by rubbing tho boy's limbs, vigorously lieforo the fire, and pouring some hot water and brandy down his throat., under which treatment the bay.'.gradually, ,c]})uo to. Dr. Henry, who had been summoned, arrived in his car, and took the lad to his home, where the restorative treatment was continued with' success. It was found on examination that the boy's clothes had been partially burnt, and his flesh scarred in places by contact with the highlycharged wire. . It should be noted that when Mr. Twist came on the scene there was a group of several persons standing round tho boy, but they did not know how they could render any assistance without taking serious risk, and it was a difficult problem owing to everything being wet vita tho rain. Mr. Twist seemed to do the only thing that was possible to do, and even ho took .a great personal risk, and is deserving of much credit. Mr. George Loughlin, wiring superintendent for tho Electric Light Department, states that the situation was certainly a difficult one, being made so by the wet weather. Perhaps the best thing to do under the circumstances would beto get a stick (a dry stick, if possible, and if wot dry it with a coat) and knock away the wires with it. In dry weather, tho task of relieving anyone would bo much easier. He would simply take oft his coat, throw it over tho wire, and then grasp and remove it from coutact with tho sufferer. ~ , , Primarily the accident was caused through a telephone wire being blown down across an electric light wire. Where the latter run together or near telephone vims, special attention should be given to the work of securing them to the insulators, and they slionWl never be allowed to cross electric light wires at an angle. AY hen a cross is necessary i should be taken at right angles, >o that as little risk as possible is assured.