DEATH OF LINESMAN PARKER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1453, 30 May 1912, Page 3

DEATH OF LINESMAN PARKER.

— INSULATION NEEDED? PROCEEDINGS AT THE INQUEST. VERY LITTT,E LIGHT. Inquiry concerning the death of the telegraph linrcimin, 'llionia* Charles I'arkcr, was conducted by Mr. \\". G. Iliddell, coroner, at the Hospital yesterday. I'eceased had been engaged in repair work on a telephone pole opposite the A\ ellington -Meat Export Company's premises in Waterloo Quay on Tuesday morning, when he caino in contact with a high tension electric light wire. The shock caused him to 'fall to the ground, and the sum of the injuries sustained caused death in rather less than two hours. 31 r. I). 31. Findlay, 'instructed by the Solicitor-General, appeared for the Post and Telegraph Department, Jlr. J. O'Shea for the City Corporation, and 3lr. A. H. Hindn'iarsh'for the widow of deceased. "Blue Flame," David Thomson, linesman, stated that ho had been employed, in conjunction with deceased, on the same pole, putting arms on it. l'arker was coming down the extension ladder when he became entangled with tho lighting wires. Suddenly witness noticed "a bluish flame, making a sizzling noise, off Parker a arm," and deceased immediately fell to the ground. He dropped some 20 feet, and lay motionless. When witness picked him up n<: was bleeding from the mouth, and also from the back of the head. Deceased was a careful and competent workman. To Jlr. Hindmarsh: Witness had been at linesman's work only for a week. He knew very little of the dangers of electricity. No one had warned hiin about them. He did not know anything about "high tension" and "low tension light wires. To Jlr. Findlay: He knew that in the city, lighting wires, ns well as_ telephone wires, were carried on the poles. Beiore being employed with Parker ho had been for four or five months in the Department, running telegraph and telephone wires. He could not say what deceased s arm touched before the blue flame showed. The flame- was only apparent for an instant. Cause of Death. Dr. Hardwiek Smith, medical superintendent at the hospital, (aid that deceased was admitted to the institution in an unconscious condition, bleeding from the mouth and nose. His right arm was fractured, and there were contusions on the arm, hip, and head. The patient seemed to be suffering a good deal of pain, and after half an hour he became much worse. He died at 12.45, having been admitted at 11.30. The cause of death was shock and internal injuries. Witness did not notice anything about deceaseds body tending to show that he had been in contact with a live wire. The condition medically described as "shock" was worse than a usual condition after an accident, and it was probable in the present case that this condition of shock had been induced by the electrical discharge. Witness admitted that the extent of, the internal injuries had not been ascertained bv a post-mortem j James Byan, foreman of Chalmers s Cooperage Works, in Waterloo Quay, stated that he had witnessed the accident from a window in the factory. He could not speak as to what caused Parker to fall- - a Test Revealed, The police offered no further evidence. Jlr. Findlay then called witnesses as follow :— Charles Selwyn Plank, assistant electrician in the' Post and Telegraph Department, stated that he had visited the scene half an hour after the accident. The pole on which deceased had been engaged carried both the telephone and electric light wires. He (witness) had made a test which disclosed that the insulation of the electric light wire was defective. Ho nevertheless considered that tho insulation of the electric light wires a proper one. The wire was encased in rubber, and, at the insulator, there was a binding round the cover to protect it from the weather. If Parker had received a shock, it must have come from tho high-tension lighting wire, and, bv contact with the bearer wire, carrying the telephone, cables. The circuit must have been made through his body to the bearer wire, which was earthed. These city lighting wires were carried on the Government Department's poles by on agreement between the Department and the corporation. This arrangement had been in force since 1891, and no accident had occurred hitherto. The men were provided v;ith rubber gloves if they required them. The Use of Gloves. To Jlr. Hindmarsh: It was impossible to tell bv ocular examination that the insulation of the wire was faulty. There was always the possibility of accident. Sometimes it was advisable to use gloves, but he would not have thought it necessary for Parker to wear gloves at the work on which he was then engaged. Usually high-tension wires were run along' the opposite side of* the street from the telephone wires, but there were instances of both kinds of wires being carried on the same poles. He added that the Department and tho corporation were cousidering the advisability of putting all dangerous wires underground. ' To Jlr. O'Shca: If Parker had touched a telephone wire instead of the hearer wire, he would not ' have received the same severe shock. Ihe bearer wire was probably put up after the lighting wires. This wire (tue bearer) was earthed in ease a HShting wire should fall find come in contact with it. The current would then run to earth at the spot, instead of going through tho Department's apparatus. Warned al the Manners Street Fire. Herbert I-. Cumitiings. assistant electrician in the Telegraph Department, stated that he had had occasion to warn deceased after the accident at the fire in Jlanners Street, by which a fireman hart been killed. Parker was drawing bare telephone wires over low-tension lignt wires, and he was net wearing gloves. Parker was aware that the wires were low-tension wires, and he gave him (witness) clearly to understand that, ho knew the danger' of contact with high tension To" Jlr. Hindmarsh: An ordinary man could not tell the difference between lii«h and low-tension wires, but a man like Parker (used to city work) would know where the dangerous wires were. It was possible for him to maite a mistake. „ ~ How the Coroner Saw It. The coroner paid that the pvidcife was clear ns to the cause of death. It a'?o showed that there was considerable dancer in work connected with electric wires in the eitv. especially high-tension. wirrs. It app-ared that the occurrence was purely accidental. Deceased was a competent workman, and he knew of the danecr. and one could only come to the conclusion that the wire was defective m son;e way. that deceased carnn in contact with it that the earth circuit was thus made, and that the electric shock mused him to fall, and to sustain "thcr injuries The finding would be: "That deceased died from internal injuries and shock cau=ed bv com in" in contact with a hightension wire, and bv falling tn the ground from a height of about 20 feet."