SUNDAY'S TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1415, 16 April 1912, Page 5

SUNDAY'S TRAGEDY

CORONER'S FINDING

DKATIt OF Kilt UMAX MT.KAX

An inquiry inlo (lip fimimstnm-es attending the death of Third rWifer Win. Robert. MM,eiiii, who was killed l>,v coinin;' into tlio circuit of an electric current lit :i lire in .Manners Slice! <n Sunday morning, was .conducted yesterday by the City Connier (Dr. M'Ailliur, S.M.). Mr. J. O'Shea attended on behalf (if lII.' City Cor|inrntioii, unci Nlation-Hergeanl Darby appeared for tlie police.

First Witness—Superintendent O'Brien,

Superintendent O'Hrien, ■ of (he City Fire Brigade, staled that a call was received by the brigade at. ;">..") a.m. on Sunday (0 (he corner of Willis .Street anil Bniilrolt SI rent. When the brigade arrived he located Ihe liro in a building in Manners Street. On discovering its naturo he deemed if advisable to order the Nnwtown and Thorndon Brigades to turn out also. Third Officer M'Leau was iu cliargo of tho Newtown' station. During the progress of the fire he (Superintendent O'Brien) was chiefly engaged in directing operations at different purls of the building. Two escape-ladders were used to afford access to the Upper portions of tho building, and both escapes were in Manners Street. Witness instructed M'Lean to sec what tho men were doing on tho roof of tho burning building. He took the escape, in front of Ihe Dominion Private Hotel. The ladders were braced at tho sides with ironwork. Immediately M'Lenn caught hold of this ironwork he .screamed. Witness was then twenty fret distant from the ladder. He saw at a glance what had happened, and the first tiling which ho did was to warn two men who wore on the ladder not to move. Rubber gloves, which wore carried on the motors, were sent for, and medical aid was summoned. Jl'Lean was in contact with the ladder for fully five minutes before he was released. There was no possibility of releasing him sooner. Witness and another officer attempted to catch M'Lean's clothes, but botli receiving a slight shock, had to desist. Eventually a line was passed around M'Lean's body, and he was removed away from tho ladder. In answer to questions, Superintendent O'Brien stated that it was not possible to erect tho ladder without coming into contact with the wires. In this case the ladder was leaning against both wires and building. The insulation on tne of the wires (tho high-tension main touching the ladder) had been burned off, nnd consequently the wire itself was in direct contact with another—the public lighting low-tension conductor. In regard to deceased, witness stated that ho bad known him for five and a half years. He was a capable man, and a good officer. He -was married, and had two children, and was thirty-six years of age. To Mr. O'Shea:'M'Lean was standing in a pool of water when he touched the ladder. It was unsafe for anyone to enter this water. Medical Evidence. Dr. W. E. Herbert, who was the next witness, stated that he was watering the Manners Street fire when he heard that an accident had occurred. Going forward to render assistance, he found one of tho firemen attached to the ladder. As soon as ho could lie got off, witness had him carried in to tho footpath, and conducted a rapid examination. It was apparent that M'Lean was then dead. Artificial respiration was attempted, nnd maintained for about three-quarters of an hour. Able assistance was given by niembers of tho brigade. Hypodermic injections of stimulants were also tried, but without avail. Wibiess then proccoded to describe the marks of injury disclosed by the examination. Death was probably due to cardiac and respiratory failure, caused by tlio passage, of the electric current. To Mr. O'Shca: It would certainly have boen uns.ifo to touch deceased while ho remained attached to the ladder. The Electrical Engineer, Stuart Richardson (engineer antT manager of the City Electrical Department) said that he had visited the sceno of the accident but coiild only givo .a theory as to how it happened. At tho request of the coroner Mr. Richardson pave a detailed technical account of the occurrence. To Sergeant Darby: It would bo possible to cut off the electrical power when a fire occurred. It was not done in this instance. . If the current had been cut off no accident would have happened. To 31 r. O'Shea: The primary cause of the electricity getting into the lndder w.as that two wires (high-tension and lowtension) came into contact, and that tho insulation was burned off the high tension primary wire. Falling debris, a jet of water, or the act of putting up a ladder might have brought the wires into contact. If tho wires had not bean brought into contact and the insulation upon 0110 of them destroyed, tlio accident would not have occurred. Fred. Willinm Good, assistant-lighting superintendent, stated that ho examined, tho' wires at tho time of the fire. Tho ladders which had been spoken of were then still iu position. The high-pressure, wire was in good condition. There was a contact, in the fire area, between tho high-pressure main arid the street-lighting wjre. Witness cut them down to examine them. The wires were twisted together probably as a result of being struck by ailing debris. The current could have been cut off iu this instance. John Henry Yarder, a fireman stationed at Thorhdon, corroborated the evidence given bv Superintendent O'Brien John Sharp and Lacey Wm. Smith, who were onlookers at the fire in Manners Streot, gave detailed, evidence in reference to the accident. Percival R'chard Waddy, barrister, and chief reporter of ''New Zealand Truth," stated that ho timed the incident. Less than five minutes elapsed from tie time of tho scream "until M'Lean was released. Coroner's Findinn. Tho coroner returned a verdict, In accordance with the medical evidence, that death was duo to a cardiac and respiratory failure due to the passage of a current of electricity through the body of the deceased. The Funeral Arrangements. The funeral of the late William Robert M'Lean will leave the Newtown Station at 2.30 p.m. tonlay for Karori, via Adelaide Road, Kent Terrace, Courtenay Place, Manners Street, Boulcott Street, Wellington Terrnce, and Mount Street. There will be atlarge attendance of firemen from all stations—City, Brooklyn, Roseneath, Kelburne, and Northland. These will include permanent men, auxiliaries, volunteers, and fire police. The coffin will be conveyed ou the horse reel from tho Newtown Station, and the Tramway Band will head tho procession.