POWER CUT OFF

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 48, 25 August 1925, Page 7

POWER CUT OFF

LIGHTNING CAUSES DISORGANISATION

EVANS BAY STATION STEPS IN.

Just before half-past 8 last evening, Mangahap power suddenly failed, and the city was laft without light or power tor its tramway and other services. The breakdown in the supply, it is believed, was due to the disorganisation pf the supply service by a heavy electrical storm near Bunnythorpe. The Evans Bay power station ; where a working head of steam is maintained steadily, was at once switched in, and cl^anged-over areas had their light on. again in not much more than ten minutes. In other parts'of the city, .however, where the lighting power of 110 volts is still used, there was considerably more delay, for the three-phase power tie generated at Evans Bay had first to be transformed to power at 110 'volts, single phase, before it could be distributed, and some time is taken in bringing in the great frequency-changers which carry out this work. ' Theatre and picture house audiences sat in pitch darkness for nearly half an hour, but the^best was made of a bad job, and impromptu "midnight" turns fielppd the minutes past. When the Jights faded at the Town Hall, where the competitions were in progress, the president '(Mr. .1. W. Carr) immediately went to the piano, and with Mr. Roland Foster, the judsre of vocal music, organised a community sinp_, Mr. Foster conducting a totally invisible audience with pocket torches. " "Keep the Home Fires Burning'" and "Lead, Kindly Liirht" were sung with 'special understanding. To the Town Hall audience the black half-hour was not particularly long and not in the least unpleasant. Manftahao power is apain coming through to. Wellington to-day.