ELECTRICALLY CHARGED ROOFS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2644, 11 October 1923, Page 1

ELECTRICALLY CHARGED ROOFS.

By thoughtlessly dmwiny some galvanised iron from one roof to another across an alleyway hetwoon two New Plymouth street buildings recently, a plumber let liis fellow workmen in for a lively lime. The sharp edge of the corrugated iron cut through the insula - lion of' an eleetrie eonneetion bel"'een the build inn's and short-eir-enited the enrrenf between the two iron roofs, and the man holding the iron found himself suddenly deposited on his haek on the roof, whilst liis companions were dancing 1 a variation of a Russian mazurka on the electrically charged roofs. On the l avement near the water pipe on to which the ground wire, which is the safety valve on occasions such as tin’s, was earthed, there was a brilliant display of eleetrie sparks which caused some consternation to pedestrians, who, of course. were mostly unaware of wlial was happening up above until the offending sheets of iron had been moved. Certainly the plumbers felt more comfortable but the occupants of premises on the connection were very wrath as all their fuses had been blown out. otherwise little damage 'va< done except where the charge had burnt through the spouting niound Iho building and left its mark on (he wood.