ELECTROCUTION OF COWS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5063, 10 December 1926, Page 3

ELECTROCUTION OF COWS

SETTLER’S LOSS AT TATUAIWL

REPORT BY BOARD’S ENGINEER.

The recent falling of an electric service wire at Tatuanui, causing the total loss of 12 cows, the property of Mr F. Klaus, was discussed at Tuesday’s meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board at Te. Aroha. The matter was introduced by a i special report submitted by the board’s chief engineer (Mr N. G. McLeod) as follows :—

“The wire which broke was on the service line belonging to Mr F. Klaus. The cause of the brepk is difficult to determine, but all .the poles show signs of cattle having rubbed against them, and if this action is continued any wire will break in course of time o.wing to the short backward and forward bending. There was no indication on the wire .that it had-been damaged in erection, nor tljat it had been over-strained, and the most possible causje was th© rubbing of the cattle.

“The board’s solicitor is of th© opinion that although the board does not own the line, the board as licensee i s ' responsible for any accident caused by the escape of any electricity. “Apart-from bad workmanship or materials, it is possible for a service line to be broken in several ways;. For instance, falling trees, flying branches, cattle rubbing or bumping—all of these, apparently and possibly many other things, in the eyes of the law, can be guarded against. “It is possible to have trees cut so far back that no storm previously known could blow brandies across lines,, and it is possible to fence’ off service lines so that vehidles, could not collide with nor cattle rub or bump poles. It is possible, also, to put earthing guards on every pole,, so that if a bare wire fell it would fall on the earthed guards and be made dead, if the guards could be properly earthed; or th'© wires could be covered throughout their length, though this would not necessarily mean immunity from accident; or the wires ‘could be put underground, giving, perhaps, the greatest immunity. “The nature of the supply is such that ©I greater electrical pressure than normal is practically impossible on these low pressure lines, even though a low pressure line fell on them, -and this low pressure is considered reasonably safe fpr human beings, though apparently it is quite unsafe for animals. There appears to be- no known method by which low pressure, lines of this nature can be ma t de dead automatically and with absolute surety in every case.

“It is apparent that.the' work cannot Sitand the expense of being made absolutely safe under all conditions and against all possibilities,, and some means will require to be adopted which will not unduly Piffect consumers financially to the extent .that the demand for electricity supply will be prejudicially affected. Th© matter is not simple, and it would .appear that the board must be prepared to take the' risk.

“Regular and careful inspections are being carried on throughout the, t>rea, and have been 'for the last three years. The amount of live wire erected on poles is approximately 4500 miles. It would be quite impossible to take down every wire at these inspections to examine them for defects, and even if this were done there is no guarantee that something would not happen before the next inspection.” I

The district electrical engineer o’f the Publid Works Department, Hamilton, wrote with reference- to broken wires, and stated that the cause of the accident wa;S apparently due to the wires being defective through the cow’s rubbing or bumping against the poles.

It' was resolved that the claim for the loss qf the cattle b© left in the hands of the chairman to adjust, with power to act.