BREAK IN POWER SUPPLY

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27657, 13 May 1955, Page 12

BREAK IN POWER SUPPLY

Southern Lines Fail MOST OF CANTERBURY AFFECTED

Most parts of Canterbury and the West Coast were without power early last evening for periods ranging from 25 minutes to more than an hour. Two of the State Hydro-electric Department’s lines between Timaru and Hororata, bringing power from Waitaki and the south, opened automatically at 4.40 p.m., leaving Coleridge and Highbank to carry the entire load north of Timaru. These two stations cut out automatically because of the overload.

The cause of the failure had not been established late last evening. The department’s assistant district engineer at Christchurch (Mr E. E. James) said last evening that among the districts affected were the Christchurch Municipal Electricity Department’s area, Heathcote, Lyttelton, Ric-j carton, North Canterbury as far as Hanmer Springs, and all the West Coast.

In the M.E.D. area, the restoration of power began about 5.15 p.m. and that was completed, with the Papanui district, at 5.22 p.m. The M.E.D., however, had to cut out small feeders m turn to keep the load down. Although the situation was almost back to normal soon after 6 p.m., some parts of the city were still without power half an hour later. Mr James said patrolmen had been sent out immediately the failure occurred. Every foot of the line between Timaru and Hororata would be examined to find the fault, although the reason for the break might not be apparent. It could have been caused by a bird, which would probably have ■t e i n destroyed without trace, or possibly by a piece of wire being thrown up by a gorse cutter. . 'Die lines were both back in service just after 5 p.m.

Inconvenience in Shops Housewives busy cooking evening meals were in temporary difficulties, out in most districts power was reStored before much damage was done. Many Christchurch shops had stand-by plant available for such emergencies but m others, and in scores of offices J* a .t ura l lighting, work was continued m the gloom. At the main telephone exchange, operators had to work largely by guesswork, and in many hotel bars, there danger of customers neighbours 611- dnnkS Consumed uJ? e Hallways Department’s signalled r= S X em betwecn Rolleston and Cass and between Lyttelton and Dunsandel Overhead traction for the £ n me . was not available for de?av tn ?i lnutes '. a , nd there was some delay to the port line services. One ke s, s trau ? i vas held U P for a.con!A d ? rable ,. per ? od > and a steam engine stm>-ri ei h ° Ut to ■ !t ’ • p ower was rebe S “ tlme lor the usual

niS r th h °K e a t thc Christchurch Hospital the break occurred at one of the nFt 1 a e i te hL Penods of the day - T he hos- ( bas a ? emergency plant for its J b f atre sectlon > and this was brought AbmS after >he fault occurred. °ut half the wards, however, are on the M.E.D. system, and in them nurses I T». WOrk by . the Hsht of lanterS was out .° f action, and there - ln oasualty deers’Todge® mam ° fflce ’ ° r the P° rt - No reports of any serious difficulties “ industries Fair in Ferry road poweibreak WSS USed durin S the