OPOSSUM CAUSES MINE STOPPAGE
Big Production Loss When Power Fails (From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH. December 16. An opossum which was incinerated on the top of a pole supporting a high tension power line, shortly after midnight, was responsible for employees being unable to work at either the Strongman or Liverpool State mines today. Power was restored at both mines within a period of two hours, but as the break had caused the ventilation fans to be out of action for longer than the permitted time of half an hour, enforcing a 24-hour stoppage, neither of the shifts was able to work. The opossum was responsible for a loss of wages of something like £3500 for the 700 men employed at the two mines—a considerable sum in view of the approaching holiday period. The loss in production was about 1200 tons, at a time when coal is badly needed to tide consumers over the holiday break. When the 11,000-volt line went out of action, the area affected extended north of Greymouth from Coal Creek through Runanga, Rapahoe, and Barrytown to Punakaiki.
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Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29390, 17 December 1960, Page 14
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181OPOSSUM CAUSES MINE STOPPAGE Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29390, 17 December 1960, Page 14
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