ELECTROCUTED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 December 1924, Page 8

ELECTROCUTED.

ACCIDENT AT MANGAHAO. CORONIAL ENQUIRY. (BX TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) PALMERSTON N., Dec: 19. At an enquiry into ' the circumstances. surrounding the' death on' December "10 at 'the • public' hospital' of William" Russell Matther* (28),' who was' injured-in an accident that: day: at the MaTrgahao electric, power house, evidence -was given'.that , injuries' were buims. and. fracture .of- the base-of- 'the:-skull,, the latter causing death'.

Charles E. Broad, representative of the British-firm concerned, at Mangahao-, said it had- been-decided to carry out- certain tests, with electrical equip-ment--at. the power house from: 7.80 : a.m. . Witness’ duty, was to make pre-: parations. Deceased and another man, Arthur Hosking, aseisted as -they did on a previous occasion. Witness ex-tlm-apparatus to .sen .that all switched yvem-clear; - and -then instructed deceased and Hosking to procure a short circuiting bar to be placed on the isolating switch of No. 4 alternator. Witness- had a doubt -that the. bar could be. placed on the particular switches; and told liis. assistants, that some other means would Ire necessary for short circuiting. Deceased mounted a ladder; and'asked: if the -bars: were dehdi- Witness-'said v “yes.’’ Hosking' gave evidence as to the deceased' short; circuiting the-, bar;. As soon as deceased, grapsed- it he- turned as if about to place; it in position; At that moment a severe arc took place across the switch; blades; Witness^-tried to; catch deceased’s clothing,: hut failed. Deceased' fell- heavily -to the floor, a ' distance of- eight ~feet.'. When ’ instructions were- given to deceased witness thought, the switches:- were as dead as they possibly-could-he;: He was--quite sure everything: was- safe: After, the accident he - found-a connection could be-made- by- the s switch , remaining closed. He .remembered, -it afterwards. To the coroner witness, said-it had not occurred to his mind., that- the switch part of-, the- panel of the apparatus was-affected .by the job. Hosking" stated that instructions were given by Broad to always, examine the apparatus.- On this- occasion he (deceased) failed to do so. The coroner said he would not comment upon the evidence further than .to say that no doubt the deceased met bis- death through., an oversight;