LAKE COLERIDGE

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17317, 1 December 1921, Page 6

LAKE COLERIDGE

THE GENERATOR BREAKDOWN., STATEMENTS IN THE HOUSE. ((FECIAL TO "THE PKMI.") WELLINGTON, November 30. Two questions bearing upon the mishap at the Lake Coleridge hydro-elec-tric works were put to the Minister of Public Works in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr G. Witty asked if the Minister could give any information upon the occurrence, and particularly whether any of the machines were of foreign make. The Minister (the Hon. J. G. Coates) said he regretted that the accident had happened. The position was -very serious indeed, and the Department was endeavouring to make the very test of it. Experts were on the spot, and wore trying to determine whether repairs could be effected on the spot. If not, a new turbine would be required. It was a case of very bad luck, the output having been reduced to about 4000 kilowatts. Ho could only assure the Canterbury members, all of whom had been making representations to him, that the Department was alive to the seriousness of the position to the many industries which had sprung up depending upon the electric supply. Every effort would be made to cop 6 with the position, it it came to the worst, but the Department was not pessimistic about it. The turbine was of Swiss manufacture. It was a very wellknown machine, used all over the world. The causes of the mishap were notknown, and the experts were not able to inform him of them. Every detail would be very carefully enquired into. The company which had supplied the turbines was putting in a new one at very much less than cost to replace the other one whioh had broken down. They realised that the trouble in that case" might have been some fault in a casting. Mr Witty; Will they do it on the second occasion? Mr Coates said he did not know that, but the company was of high repute, and he folt sure would do the right thing. A little later Dr. Thacker asked the Minister whether, in view of. the seriousness of the position, there were any other turbines on the way to New Zealand which could be allotted to Lake Coleridge? Mr Coates said there was one which was to take the place of the machine where the casing had cracked. That would be put in place when it arrived. He would oonfer with his officers on the point, and he wished to give an assurance that nothing which could be done to meet the position would be left undone.