TOWER GOES OF

Feilding Star, Volume 10, Issue 3930, 13 January 1933, Page 4

TOWER GOES OF

FA I LUKE IX WAIKARAPA EXPLOSION AT ST’HSTATIOX As the reult of an explosion at the Wainswwa sub station of the Watrarapa Power Hoard the whole of the district was plunged into darkness with startling suddenness at 11.40 o’clock last night. The failure lasted to. just on an hour. The trouble was caused, it is stated. by a blow-out on the Mangnhao switchboard at the sub-station. The explosion caused a fair amount of damage to the switchboard iMinels and to other interior parts of the station. Fire broke out in some parts of the equipment, hut this was quickly quelled by means of chemical extinguishers. None of the Hoard’s workmen suffered injury, there l>eing no one in the sub-station when tin* blow-out occurred. The lights c:nm* on again shortly after 12.:5."» o'clock, when ir was found possible to work off Kourarau. It was soon apparent, however that the lea.l was too great for Kourarau to bear, and as result it was found necessary to cut. off tin* Featherston and Martinborougli districts for four or five hours, from about 1 a.m. The street lights in Masterton wore also switched off shortly after 1.10 am. in order to lighten the" load. Power Hoard officials who were questioned had little information to give as to the probable cause of the blow-out or the extent of the damage. They stated however, that it was hoped fully to rectify the fault at some time to-day.