EARLY MORNING POWER CUT IN GREY DISTRICT

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 June 1950, Page 4

EARLY MORNING POWER CUT IN GREY DISTRICT

The whole of the Grey Electric Power Board’s district, with the exception of the Ahaura-Reefton area, will be deprived of power in the early hours of tomorrow morning. The cut will commence at 2.30 and ir is expected that power will be restored at 5.30 a.m. , , , + . Q During that period, employees of the State Hydro-Electric Department at the mam Dobson sub-station will work under pressure to complete the annual overhaul of the switching gear at the station, which is the object of the shut-down. The work cannot be done without shutting off the power supply and the 2.30-5.30 a.m. period on a Sunday morning has been chosen as the least inconvenient time to consumers. However, it is impossible to choose a time when nobody will be affected and the Power Board has given ample warning of the “black-out” to the Grey Hospital, the Harbour Board (oil lamps will be used temporarily at the signal station), the owners of major freezing plants in the district and to the telephone exchange, where temporary lighting arrangements will be necessary. Although advertisements have been published regarding the shut-down, many people apparently could not believe that it was likely at such an unusual hour and many inquiries have been received as to whether the stated times were correct. The reason why the district north of Ahaura is not affected (as it was when the same overhaul was done in May of last year) is that, in the meantime, a new sub-station has been completed at Blackwater and it now supplies the area north of Ahaura.