Linemen’s Battle

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31530, 18 November 1967, Page 1

Linemen’s Battle

During the last 48 hours Post Office linemen have fought a losing battle with the weather in their efforts to repair damage to telephone installations.

They were out all day yesterday and much of last night in atrocious conditions, restoring toll lines between Ashburton and Timaru and in the high country. The work will go on today with extra men from Christchurch.

A special report has gone to the Postmaster-General (Mr Scott) on the extent of the damage. As fast as linemen worked on Thursday and yesterday, their efforts were undone by snow, rain, lightning and wind. Poles have been snapped by lightning and trees have I crashed across lines. Hundreds of subscribers have been cut off and it is expected to

be several days before full service is restored.

It was reported late yesterday afternoon that 240 subscribers in the Methven district had lost service, 100 in the Maronan area, and most subscribers in the Ealing, Lismore, Rurpuna and Carew districts on the Hinds exchange. A further 160 subscribers were cut off in the Springbum area and 43 in the Hororata area, including the power station at Lake Coleridge. Connections between Christchurch and the West Coast have been kept open through Blenheim. Priority has been given to the restoration of toll circuits; private lines will be repaired later.