Sunday 20 February 2022

Patrick Joseph Kearney, 1876-8/6/1922.

MAN ELECTROCUTED

IN FORBURY ROAD, ST. CLAIR. 

Shortly, after 6 o’clock this morning an employee of the Post and Telegraph Department named Patrick Joseph Kearney was fixing some telephone wires in Forbury road, St, Clair, at a point just opposite Dr Murray's residence, when he evidently came in contact with ono of three live wires, and was immediately electrocuted. Deceased, who was a middle-aged man, was married, and resided with his wife and family at McBride street. South Dunedin.  -Evening Star, 8/6/1922.


DEATH BY ELECTROCUTION

INITIAL INQUIRY. 

Not very long after starting work yesterday morning, Patrick Joseph Kearney, employed by the Post and Telegraph Department, while engaged fixing telephone wires in Forbury road, St. Clair, by some means came into contact with one of three live wires, and was immediately electrocuted. Deceased was a middle-aged man, was married, and resided with his wife and family at McBride street, South Dunedin. An inquest was opened yesterday afternoon by Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., as to the circumstances surrounding the death, Mr W. H. Brugh appearing for the relatives of deceased. 

Michael Kearnev, residing in Oxford street, stated that he was the father of deceased, who was 46 years of age, and was married. Deceased was a telegraph linesman, and witness believed he had been engaged in that occupation for five or six years. He was a healthy man. 

Dr C. Stewart stated that about 9.20 a.m. he had been summoned to attend deceased. He was lying on his back on the footpath at the foot of the electric pole. There was profuse bleeding from the nose, mouth, and ears, indicating a fracture of the base of the skull. There was an incised wound on the left side of the skull. The fingers and thumbs of both hands were burnt to the bone, owing to contact with the wires. An examination of other parts of the body failed to disclose further injury. At the Morgue witness saw burning of the right foot, and some singeing on the upper portion of the foot. Life was extinct when witness saw deceased, but there was a twitching of the body as witness approached, such as might be expected by cerebral injury. Death was due to shock following on electrocution, and with it might possibly have been combined cerebral injury.

The Coroner then adjourned the inquest to next Wednesday at the Magistrate’s Court at 11 a.m-Otago Daily Times, 9/6/1922.


INQUESTS.

TELEGRAPH LINESMAN ELECTROCUTED.

Mr J. R. Bartholomew. S.M., continued the inquest in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning on the body of Patrick Joseph Kearney, who was electrocuted while engaged in fixing telephone wires in Forbury road, St. Clair, on Thursday last. 

Mr W. R. Brugh appeared for the relatives of the deceased. Mr H. E. Barrowdough for the City Corporation, and Mr H. G. Lakeman for the Telegraph Department. Sub-inspector Eccles conducted proceedings on behalf of the police. 

Martin George Kofoed, telegraph foreman, said that the deceased held a position under him as telegraph linesman. Deceased had been employed over six years in the department. On the morning of the fatality he was detailed to dismantle from a telegraph pole two wires which crossed on to a tramway pole and then to two subscribers’ premises. He had another linesman, Pope, with him. Deceased was provided with ladder and gloves, to disconnect the wire he had to put the ladder against the tramway pole. The ladder only reached the crossbar, where the insulators were. On the pole there were three insulators on the right hand for power and two insulators on the left for lighting. Witness did not notify the electric department of the work. That was not usual. The three power insulators carried high tension wires, each of which carried 1750 volts. Between the phases and the earth one could get 1750 volts. From the end of the ladder to the crossbar where the wire was to be disconnected was about 6ft l0in. No arrangements were made by the department for the man to cover the gap. He could stand on the crossbar and reach the distance. It was not in every case that the current had to be disconnected when men were working on high tension wires. Apart from the ladder the deceased was not supplied with any appliances except gloves. There were tour pairs of gloves on the work, but most linesmen had an objection to using them except in rare cases. They considered they were safer without them as they were so stiff. No one else was asked to go up that pole that morning. Kearney knew he was dealing with high tension wires and was one of the most experienced men they had. Each of the wires was branded with a red disc denoting danger. The insulators were so close to the pole that there would not have been room for a ladder reaching from the ground to the top of the pole. There would have been a bigger danger. The method followed was the one always used. Goloshes were not generally used. It would have been well for deceased to have had goloshes. He could then have put his foot on the insulator. Kearney probably met his death by putting one foot on the insulator and his bare hand on the pole. Kearney had carried out similar work with the same appliances. Kearney could have reached to the top of the pole without standing on the insulator. He admitted the work was to a certain extent dangerous. There was no other way of dealing with this work than the one that had been employed. There was a regulation making it compulsory for gloves to be worn before a man went up a pole. The foreman was not always present to see that precautions were carried out. There was enough voltage there to kill the man instantly, so that he would be dead before he got to the ground. They did not have the power cut off unless it was in a very dangerous place. It was not necessary to have it cut off for such work as Kearney had been carrying out. 

To Mr Brugh: Gloves were not worn unless in very dangerous places. 

Mr Brugh: If he stood on the insulator, would there necessarily be any danger? 

Witness: There is danger, especially so if the insulator happens to be not perfect. 

In reply to Mr Barrowclough witness said deceased could have stood with perfect safety on the insulators on the other side of the crossbar, the insulators there carrying wires for street lighting. 

To Mr Lakeman: Deceased could, in his opinion, have reached the wire without standing on the insulator. Deceased had signed a paper which showed he understood the various signs denoting danger. The gloves were available for deceased. It was not usual for a man to be put on such work if he was not aware of the danger. Goloshes had now been supplied. Notices were shown to the men periodically warning them of the danger. All precautions were taken in the case, except that deceased did not wear gloves. 

At this stage the inquest was adjourned till 3 o’clock. 

On resuming, Alfred Henry Davies, foreman of the City Power and Light Department, said that when his department wanted its wires shifted from the telegraph poles the department’s own men did the work. To the best of his belief telegraph linesmen knew the danger when working on high tension wires. Witness did not see that it was necessary to disconnect the power, as there was plenty of room for the man to do the work without getting where he was. Every man was supplied with rubber gloves and goloshes. It was possible to use a ladder from the side of the road to the top of the pole and miss the crossbar. The rake of the ladder would clear the wires. The insulators on the pole were all right. It would have caused the Electric Power and Lighting Department considerable trouble to disconnect the power on that line. Repair work where the men might come in contact with high tension wires was usually done on Sundays, when the power was off. The men were told to wear gloves — the ganger was supposed to see that this was carried out — but he would not say that the men wore them. It was not a safe thing for a man to stand on an insulator to disconnect a wire on the top of the pole when the current was on. There was always a great risk in resting on an insulator. The telegraph department had free access to the corporation’s poles so long as they did not touch his department's wires. He did not know of any occasion where the Telegraph Department had applied to his department to have the wires disconnected. I’d the best of witness’s belief the deceased knew the procedure in dealing with high

tension wires. To Mr Brugh; He thought the danger would have been obviated by using a longer ladder on the roadside. There was a joint on each of the three insulators. If there had been no joints the deceased might have had a better chance. He had no right to be where he was To Mr Barrowclough: If the deceased’s foot slipped off the insulator there was every possibility that it might have rubbed off the insulation of the wire, and then, if his hand touched the pole, that would be the end of it. 

To Mr Lakeman: Under the circumstances, he did not think it was necessary that the power should have been cut off. 

To the Coroner: The wires with the white discs might be alive in the daytime, but it would be on very rare occasions. 

James Pope, telegraph linesman, said that he had been working with deceased on the day of the accident. They had finished one pole, when deceased had stood on the insulators with both feet: he had no goloshes and no gloves. Witness was on another pole, when deceased went to the second pole, and he saw a cigarette which he had given him fall to the ground. He then saw deceased standing on the bar, with blue fire under his feet. He called out, “Pat, look at your feet,” but got no reply. He looked up at the top of the pole, and saw the deceased with an arm round the jackstay and one round the pole. He was then falling back. Deceased was fully two minutes up the pole with the current going through him before the wire burnt away and he fell to the ground. Unless a man had a certain amount of experience he was never asked to go up a pole. He had never been working on a pole where the power had been disconnected. They looked on the insulation as a safeguard, and had never been warned against standing on the insulators. On the first pole, when deceased stood on the insulator the wire was alive. Witness did not think there was anything strange about it. It was possible to use a ladder, but it would take one about 35ft to 40ft in length. The foreman had come along and had seen the deceased standing on the insulators of the first pole. Their instructions were to use gloves — there were no instructions about goloshes or rubber soles. They could not possibly work with the rubber gloves supplied — in fact, there was more danger with them than with the naked hands. The deceased was one of the most careful men he had ever worked with. When the foreman came to the first pole on which deceased was working he had called out. “Be careful.” 

To Mr Brugh: He had worked with other men, and they had stood on the insulator just as Kearney had done. They had been repeatedly warned that they should wear rubber gloves when working near high tension wires. 

Francis Joseph Sepline, foreman of the Telegraph Department on the line work, said that he had seen the deceased working on the crossbar of the pole, on the red disc side. He was standing on the arm, between the insulators. He was not standing on the top of the insulators. He would not allow any employee to stand on the insulators if he saw him. Deceased knew as much about the danger of the work as he did. There was a danger of slipping if a man stood on the insulators. The men would not wear gloves. The men were not required to wear goloshes. He did not know of any occasion where the current had been cut off. The joints at the pole were more dangerous than ordinary wire.

The Coroner, after traversing the evidence, said that he was satisfied from that evidence that the deceased was not fully instructed, and did not really appreciate the dangerous surroundings. No doubt full instructions had been issued by the department from time to time bearing on the work, and there were also other instructions with regard to avoiding contact with any high tension wires. From the evidence, it appeared to him that deceased worked on the second pole in exactly the same manner as Pope had said he worked on the first. Instructions were given in connection with the wearing of gloves, but it appeared that these gloves were never worn. The evidence of Davis went to show that he would have taken more strict precautions before men were set to work under the conditions stated. It seemed to him that there was room for a considerable tightening up in connection with the dangerous work the men were called on to do, and in saying this he was not overlooking the instructions which had been given, and the care which these instructions showed the department’s officers bestowed on the operation of the work. These occurrences showed that the risks the men ran had not been sufficiently impressed on them, nor did it seem to him that there was proper supervision and responsibility in connection with the work. The deceased and his fellow workmen were left to carry on this work on their own resources. From the evidence of Davis it was highly dangerous work, and it should have been under strict supervision, and the men made aware of its danger. Nor were the workers adequately equipped for the work. No doubt certain risks and dangers were inseparable from the work, and for that reason every precaution and safeguard should be taken. His verdict would be that death was due to shock through deceased accidentally coming into contact with a current carried by a high tension wire.  -Otago Daily Times, 15/6/1922.


Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.


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