CAR FOULS ELECTRIC WIRE

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 July 1939, Page 5

CAR FOULS ELECTRIC WIRE

LINESMEN’S NARROW ESCAPE [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION,] PALMERSTON N„ July 14. When electric power failed in "Wellington yesterday about noon there was almost a tragedy behind the interruption. Five linesmen employed by the Mgna.watu-o'rdua"Power Board were engaged in running a' new service line of four wires on the Long-burn-Rongotea road. The ’wires had been run out ready for straining up and the route of these was' over a Public AVorks Department telephone line and across the road under the 110,000-volt lines from ' Mangahao to Bunnythorpe. ’ The service wires were laid slack on the road. Cars proceeding at a normal speed were passing over them without trouble. Then came a car at an estimated speed of 60 miles an hour. The suction of the front wheels caused one wire to become fouled under the car, which carried the wire along the road until it broke under the strain.

It flew up into the 110,000-volt live line and, with a tremendous roar, a terrific arc occurred. It flashed to the ground, travelling in all directions along the lines, including telephones, until the protective apparatus involving Arapuni, AVaikaremoaua. and Mangahao generating stations cut off the supply in. the section involved.

The Government hydro-electric serried telephone lines were burnt through and the main cables of the 110,000-volt lines were so badly damaged that they had to be replaced. The linesmen through experienced, received a great fright and all of them suffered badly from shock, having • a narrow escape from death as they were in the neighbourhood on the ground. So great was the power arc that a hedge under the main line was burnt.