William Robert McLean
Death of a Fireman
On the 14th April 1912, a fire broke out in a workshop in Eller’s Lane off Willis Street. Being attached to a number of buildings around it, the fire quickly spread up a covered staircase to a commercial building fronting Manners Street. The building was owned by Morgan Grace and the tenants were G. P. Hanna signwriter, Sanitarium Health Food Café, A. Walling hairdresser, F. Gurney basket manufacturer and Miss Cooper florist.
The Municipal Fire Brigade were in attendance and as the workshop became no more than a roaring furnace, a frontal attack to the fire was needed. Ladders were erected in front of the Dominion Private Hotel as there was a chance its roof was about to be ignited. One of these ladders was a Shand-Mason escape with timber framework and a lattice ironwork brace girder. A squad of men were sent up with a hose.
Superintendent O’Brien turned to William McLean, who was a third officer in the brigade, and asked him to ascend the roof to see how his colleagues were progressing. He placed one hand on the metal girder of the ladder. The girder had come into contact with a live wire overhead and as soon as he touched the girder, he dropped limp, depending on one arm. He was in contact with the ladder for about five minutes. Several tried to grab him by his clothes but received slight shocks and had to desist. Eventually a line was passed around his body and he was pulled away.
Dr Herbert and Dr Pollen were quickly summoned and attempted to revive William. Although they thought he was dead, they used artificial respiration for 45 minutes and hypodermic injections of stimulants. He was then pronounced him dead and that his death must have been instantaneous and painless.
It is thought that the heat of the fire had melted the insulation of the overhead electrical wires which had come in contact with the ladder. The other men using the ladder ahead of William were only touching the timber portion of the ladder while the ladder was in contact with the wire. It was William who had his feet on the ground and touched the ladder who short-circuited the current.
William joined the brigade as an auxiliary fireman in 1899. He worked his way up ‘by enthusiasm and hard work’. He was 35 years old and left a wife Louisa (nee Marshall), and two small children Louisa and John. As with other officers of the corporation, he was insured by the municipality.
William’s funeral left the Newtown fire brigade station for Karori Cemetery. The coffin was borne on the two-horse hose-reel and all the firemen and fire police attended in uniform. His burial rites were read by Superintendent O’Brien. Plot: *Public 2/N/171
Sources:
Accidents and Fatalities. (1912, April 16). New Zealand Times, p11.
Dominion Items. (1912, 15 April). Waikato Argus, p2.
Fireman Electrocuted While on Duty. (1912, 15 April). New Zealand Times, p5.
News of the Day. (1912, 16 April). New Zealand Times, p6.
Photo of a block of shops in Manners Street, Wellington where a fireman was electrocuted climbing a ladder to an iron roof. The New Zealand Graphic and Ladies Journal, 24 April 1912, p.23. Courtesy of Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-19120424-0023-01