STORM ALONG COAST

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1934, Page 2

STORM ALONG COAST

CAUSES ELECTRICAL TROUBLE With gale force, and rapidly changing in direction, the wind played havoc along the West Coast, this morning, and beat a merry tattoo for half an hour. In its wake came rain, but the considerable damage that was caused to electrical and telegraphic service was the work of the wind, It was a clouded morning, and the business houses in Greymouth were utilising the electric lights. These threatened to be extinguished on several occasion, but it was almost II o’clock before the service was broken. And it. was almost, an hour before the service was restored. . The principal damage occurred to the Power Board’s lines. Near Ngaliere the wind battered a line till it was broken, and at Omoto race course, the line also failed to stand the test. Wireless aerials were much damaged, and these interrupted the electrical supply. The current, had to be turned on through the No. 2 feeder, of the Grey Power Board’s work. Elmer Lane was the only place in the town that did not have its service restored shortly before noon.

“We have had a very busy morning.” said Mr Sinclair Trotter, engineer to the Power Board, when conversing with the “Star” office by telephone. “The full extent of the damage is not known to me, as I have had to stay at the Kaiata sub-station, but ■wireless aerials have been the principal cause of the interruption. Eveiyt.liing will be in ship-shape order this afternoon, unless we get another storm.” he added. Three large trees facing the Nurses Home, at Greymouth, were blown down ’by the wind. They fell over the embankment near the Karoro flag station, but did not fall on to the railway line. . The storm caused interruption of the telegraph service on the West Coast, there being about an hour’s delay in traffic, but normal conditions were reported by the Greymouth office to have been restored at noon. A tree which fell across the lines in the Buller Gorge cut off the communication with Westport, while trees also fell across the lines at Otira and Teremakau. A shed was blown acioss the line at South Beach. There was no interruption to the railway service, other than the telephonic communication. The express from Grevmouth to Christchurch ran to time, but this afternoon’s express has a slight delay owing to it being held up for inspection. The Stationmaster at Greymouth advised that it would be a ’ few minutes behind schedule on arrival here,