Immediate Effects Of Failure

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28794, 15 January 1959, Page 8

Immediate Effects Of Failure

Christchurch radio stations went off the air in the power failure but emergency programmes were broadcast from Gebbies Valley, where the transmitters still had power At the main building in Gloucester street auxiliary power enabled 3YA and 3YC to resume normal programes within a few minutes but 3ZB staff had to transfer from Colombo street to Gloucester street and use a spare studio. The Christchurch Post Office building was plunged into darkness, causing work to halt, but the telegraph operating room was able to continue working with light from an emergency plant. Hurricane lamps and torches enabled nurses, orderlies, and other staff to carry on duties at the Christchurch Public Hospital where power also failed. Operations at the Christchurch Central Police Station - were not affected by the failure. The station has its own emergency lighting plant, and this was brought into use when it was realised the power failure was a serious one. Bakeries For Christchurch bakeries, the blackout came at a stage when most of them were doughing up and baking had not started. Had it occurred an hour later the first batches of today’s bread would have been ruined. A foundry producing enamelled stove components had only f >ne batch of material in a furnace when power failed, as the men had stopped work for their teabreak. The Christchurch Drainage Board pumping station in Pages road started its auxiliary diesel pumps immediately the electric motors stopped, but the Council waterworks department was not experiencing a sufficiently heavy heavy demand to warrant starting its auxiliaries. Taxis Busy

City taxi firms had the nightly picture theatre rush about an hour earlier than usual. Few persons called cabs by telephone, but taxi ranks had a busy time. The blackout caused some confusion at the control rooms of the two main taxi organisations. Until stand-by lighting plants got under way operators could not take telephone orders as they could npt see to write down the addresses where cabs were needed. One firm had its control radio off the air for 20 minutes and could not call its cabs. The taxi firms reported a rush on cabs before the blackout when heavy rain was falling.

Only one of the four piecarts in Christchurch managed to provide hot food for its r - trons during the power failure. The cooking was done by gas. The other three, all dependent upon electric power, continued serving customers with congealing food by the aid of car headlights, bicycle lamps and candles. But trade was very slack, said one proprietor.

The cart in Hereford street, near the Bank of New Zealand, which was working on gas, was unaffected, apart from a lack of hot water for washing dishes. Trade here was good, and car headlights helped to make sure the customers got what they asked for. Restaurants and snack bars were affected in many ways. Some grill rooms were forced to close, while others were able to continue under difficulties. Those restaurants which cook by gas were more fortunate than those using electricity exclusively. One grill room in Manchester street continued cooking and serving full meals throughout the cut, but the proprietor said he was "only just working.”

The restaurants remaining open served light snacks only with candles providing a light. Maternity Hospitals

A tiny premature baby girl al Essex Maternity Hospital slept through the blackout, oblivious of torches and lanterns flashing as nurses checked the nursery. Too delicate to be weighed, the three-day-old baby was being kept in an isolette—an electrically heated incubator cot—and became the centre of attention of the staff. The night sister said that there was no cause for worry as other means of keeping the child warm were available.

Lyndhurst Maternity Hospital was without power for more than two hours and the staff went about their duties with candles The night sister said that no babies had been born up until 11.30 p.m. However one was expected. At St. Helens Hospital the wards and nurse’s home were in darkness but auxiliary power kept lights and power available for the theatre and nursery.

Other maternity hospitals and the Karitane Baby Hospital did not suffer a long blackout