POWER FAILS AGAIN

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 99, 20 January 1939, Page 10

POWER FAILS AGAIN

Recurrence Of Previous Trouble

WELLINGTON IN DARKNESS

For the third time this week Wel-

lington’s electric power supply from Mangahao failed last night and the city and also the Hutt Valley, Khan-

dallah and Johnsonville were again in darkness for a short period. The power went off at 9.21 p.m. and the Government supply was not restored till 9.35 p.m. Though portion of the equipment is still dismantled for annual Government inspection, the Evans Bay standby plant was able to take over the city load at 9.27 p.m. and continued to generate a certain amount of power, as a precautionary measure, for some lime after the normal service had been resumed. In the suburbs, however, the lights did not go on again till the power from Mangalino was restored at 9.35 p.m. As in the two earlier blackouts, salt on the insulators north of Kbandallah was stated to be the cause of the trouble. All day yesterday, power was being supplied to Wellington on one line only, the other —tl’ie west line — having been Left out since the previous night. From 8 o’clock yesterday morning till dark, a gang of 20 experienced men who had been gathered from Bunnythorpe southward toiled away cleaning the accumulation of salt from the insulators. Between 40 and 45 miles of the line, from I’aekakariki northward, was treated in this manner, but the current had not long been turned on when the breakdown occurred, both lines being affected. The total length of the lines is 65 miles, and it is considered that the fault developed in the portion which the irien had not had time to clean.

Little delay was caused to trains by , the cessation of power supply. There were no electric trains on the Wellington-Johnson,ville line when the power was cut off, but there was one at each end waiting to depart. Both were delayed about 12 minutes, but thej’ soon picked up their timetable running. The emergency power supply for signals enabled the other trains about Wellington to continue with only inconsiderable delays.