POWER BREAKDOWN

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 135, 4 March 1929, Page 10

POWER BREAKDOWN

EVAN’S BAY TAKES CITY LOAD

MANGAHAO LINES MAY BE RIGHT TO-DAY

So far as can be gathered, there are good prospects that the breakdown in the Mangahao power supply will be finally overcome to-day, and that the two power lines between Mangahao and Khandallah sub-station will both be restored to working order. One line was restored on Saturday and was supplying the Hutt Valley, but the whole of the city load over the week-end was borne by the Evans Bay station. The Jervois Quay plant had been brought into action to build up the peak load for the city, but this ceased work at 9 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday Evans Bay was fully equal to the demands made. It will continue to caAy the load to-day, and it is hoped that the second Mangahao line will be in order in time to assist in taking on the peak load, commencing after 4 p.m. Otherwise it will probably be necessary to bring the Jervois Quay power station into action again. There should be no difficulty in running the full service of tramcars this morning, as everything is in working order at Evans Bay. The trouble which was the main cause of the breakdown in Wellington was finally located on the high hills at the back of Paraparaumu. One line had been cleaned and brought into operation again, stated the chief electrical engineer of the Public Works Department (Mr. F. M. Kissel). The work of cleaning the insulators along it was proceeding as fast lis possible, and it was expected to be in working order again possibly in about 48 hours. The failure of the current at Petone was probably due to the salt spray deposited on the insulators, a matter which had always been a source of trouble in that locality.