Walters v. Iowa Electric Co.

• Decision Date: 15 March 1927
• Docket Number: 38040
• Citation: 212 N.W. 884,203 Iowa 471
• Parties: R. L. WALTERS, Appellee, v. IOWA ELECTRIC COMPANY, Appellant
• Court: Iowa Supreme Court

212 N.W. 884

203 Iowa 471

R. L. WALTERS, Appellee, v. IOWA ELECTRIC COMPANY, Appellant

No. 38040

Supreme Court of Iowa, Des Moines

March 15, 1927

Appeal from Guthrie District Court.--W. G. VANDER PLOEG, Judge.

Action to recover damages in the sum of $ 4,980.90, with interest on account of the loss and destruction of certain farm buildings and trees by fire alleged by plaintiff to have been caused by the negligence of the defendant in the maintenance of its high-tension electric wires. Cause tried to the jury the trial resulting in a verdict in favor of plaintiff for $ 3,409.45. From the judgment entered thereon defendant appeals.

Affirmed.

John A Reed, C. E. Richman, and Harry Wifvat, for appellant.

A. M. Fagan, for appellee.

DE GRAFF, J. EVANS, C. J., and ALBERT and MORLING, JJ., concur.

OPINION

DE GRAFF, J.

Plaintiff was the owner of a Guthrie County farm on which were located certain buildings, including two barns, a machine shed, hog house, and corncrib. On May 22, 1925, the aforesaid buildings were destroyed by fire, and in this action plaintiff seeks to recover the reasonable value thereof, and predicates his right on the negligence of the defendant-corporation in the maintenance and operation of its electric lines for the transmission of electrical current. The farm in question was situate on the north side of a highway, along which, and on the north side thereof, was constructed the high potential line of the defendant. Near the highway fence was a large maple tree, in close proximity to the electric line. Plaintiff alleges that a fire started in said tree by reason of its contact with the electric wire "in some manner unknown to the plaintiff," but states that the fire "was due to either negligent construction or failure to keep said lines in proper repair, or by negligent construction of same in such manner that the same was allowed to communicate fire to said tree; that from the fire originating in said tree fire was set to several of the buildings and other property upon the premises of the plaintiff, and thereby damaged or destroyed the same."

The defendant admits, in answer, that it is an Iowa corporation engaged in the manufacture and distribution of electricity for lighting, heating, and power purposes, and maintaining high-tension lines to various towns in the southern part of Guthrie County, Iowa; that the high-tension line is located along the public highway aforesaid, past the farm owned by the plaintiff; and that the right and privilege of operating said lines upon the public highway were granted to the defendant in conformity to law. Defendant denied every other allegation contained in plaintiff's petition and pleads freedom from any negligence contributing to the damage in question.

Upon the conclusion of plaintiff's testimony, and without the introduction of any testimony on the part of the defendant, the cause was submitted to the jury, which returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff in the sum of $ 3,409.45.

The facts disclose that the maple tree was 40 or 50 feet tall, with a trunk 3 feet in diameter at its base. The high-tension wire was attached to poles which were about 30 feet high. Near the top of the pole was a steel cross arm known as the wishbone cross arm, upon which were insulators, to which were attached the high-tension wires, carrying 33,000 volts of electricity.

Several years prior to the date in question, the defendant-company had cut off a part of a large limb which extended from the southeast side of the maple tree. The remaining part of the limb, about 6 or 8 inches in diameter, died, and the wood decayed. The wire became slack, and would sway back and forth with the wind. On the day in question, the wind was blowing 30 miles an hour, which caused the wire to come in contact with the limb of the tree. The evidence is undisputed that the wire set fire to the decayed portion of the limb, and the sparks were blown by the wind in the direction of the corncrib, which was about 150 feet distant. One witness testified:

"I noticed a fire in the tree where the limb had been cut off, and it was burning. The wind was blowing this light wire about to the tree at times. There were sparks flying from this knot toward the building--sparks about the size of my finger. The wire moved with the velocity of the wind, back and forth."

Another witness, who passed the farm about 3 o'clock on the afternoon in question, saw the fire in the tree. Another witness testified to the same effect. There was no fire around the buildings on that day, "and not in the cook stove."

The jury was warranted in finding that the cause of the fire which destroyed the buildings and part of the grove on plaintiff's farm was the contact of the high-tension wire with the decayed limb of the maple tree. There was no speculation about this matter, and in the light of the testimony and the provisions of statute presently noted, we discover no reversible error. Plaintiff was not required to aver or prove more than was necessary to entitle him to the relief asked. Section 11181, Code of 1924. See, also Garvik v. Burlington, C. R. & N. R. Co., 124 Iowa 691, 100 N.W. 498; Everett v. Christopher, 125 Iowa 668, 101 N.W. 521; Watts v. Wright, 201 Iowa 1118, 206 N.W....