NARROW ESCAPE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 164, 14 July 1939, Page 8

NARROW ESCAPE.

ALMOST A TRAGEDY. TERRIFIC POWER ARC. CAR FOULED WIRE ON ROAD. LINESMEN BADLY SHOCKED (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) PALMKRSTOX NORTH, this day. "When the electric power failed in Wellington yesterday about noon there was almost a tragedy behind the interruplioii. l ive linesmen of the ManawatuOioii.i Power Hoard were ensraged in running a new service line of four wires mi the road. The had been run out ready for straining up and the rout*', of these was over a I'iililie Works telephone line and i across the road under tiie 110.000-volt lines from Mangnhao to Uunny thorjte.

I he service w ires were laid slack oil the road and cars proceeding at normal speed were parsing over them without trouble. Then a cur came along at an alleged high speed and the suction of the I runt wheels caused one wire to become fouled under the car, which carried the wire along the road until it broke under the strain.

The wire Hew up into the 110,000V"li live line. A terrific power arc i ii-ta ut a neou-ly occurred with a tremendous roar, anil extending to the ground and travelling in all directions along the lines, including the telephone, until the protective apparatus involving t lie Arapuni. Waikarcmoaiift and Manga - hao generating stations cut ofF the supply in the section involved.

The ( !ov'eminent hydro-electric service and telephone lines were, burned through, and the main cables of the 1 Ki.oiiii \ olt lines were so badly damaged that they have been replaced.

I'lic linesmen, though lon<r experienced, received a great fright aiul were all badly -hocked. having a narrow escape from dentil, as they were in the immediate \irinity 011 the ground. So groat \\iiii the power arc that a hedge under the maiiv. line was burned.