PHONES DEAD FOR THREE DAYS

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 306, 25 September 1945, Page 6

PHONES DEAD FOR THREE DAYS

Over 500 Subscribers

Affected

CORRODED CABLE AT ISLAND BAY

More than over 500 Island Bay telephones were out of use during the weekend through, a fault in a cable near Wakefield Park. The trouble first developed on Friday evening and a gang of Post and Telegraph linesmen working almost continuously for three days did not have the cable repaired till yesterday afternoon. The fihones affected—half those hr Island Buy—were dead from 6.20 p.m. on Friday till about 4 p.m. yesterday. During the three days the telephone exchange was inundated with a steady stream of infinities and complaints from perturbed subscribers. The trouble resulted from corrosion of one of tlie two lend telephone cables which feed the Bay. The ground between' Duppa and Dover'Streets became badly waterlogged in one part and electricity from the nearby tram rails gave rise to the corroding process of electrolysis. 'The lead cable sheathing was eaten away and many of the 1209 wires inside were earthed. Immediately this happened it was mechanically indicaetd at the exchange and a repair gang soon located the position. With the exception of a spell on Saturday night an average of six men worked night and day continuously unearthing over 60 feet of cable and replacing it with a temporary line above Iho ground. As each pair of wires was replaced the line was tested and that, subscriber heard his phone ring for tile first time, in most cases, for three days.

The repair work was one of the biggest repair jobs the Post and Teleghapli Department Ims done in Wellington for several years.