WAKA CABLE STATION

Grey River Argus, 2 June 1914, Page 6

WAKA CABLE STATION

DESTROYTD BY FIRE. ' i (Per United Press Association.) , NELSON ; June i. '" The cable station .at Wakapuaka was burned to the ground at 3 o'clock this morning 1 . • The fLre when discovered lhad a good hold and it was at once' seen that it would be impossible to save 1 l he building". [ The officials attention was then turn , ed to the bungalow, one or two bui!di.hnjs used by the, staff as quarters. I This budding was only nine or ' ten feet from the office and soon caught and was- .also' .totally destroyed. The staff by splendid work with meagre appliances managed to save the building used as quarters- ■ The paint on both 'these* buildings was badly scorched 'and' blistered. There was .am anxious time until safety was assured 1 . The loss is very heavy, as only part of one cable instrument (there were three) wa? saved. , Another bier'} item was the cUtstruc-

tftm of some hundreds of miles of aitificial line. It is hoped to restore communication with Sydney, and Wellington or Nelson to-day, as there is a spare set of -instruments .kept in place on. the beach* * I The cause of the ouburst is a complete mystery. The staff did great work. The quarters, destroyed by fire were occupjed by six of the staff, the others occupying the long building. The buildings . destroyed were the property of the Government, valued at between £2000 and and were well insured. Communication with/ Sydney from the shore office "jhas practically been established. The "Telegraph Department is arranging comunication v ith Nelson and Wellington. COMMUNICATION RESTORED Excellent work^ by the two staffs under -the f respective control of Mr. Kemp, engineer of the Telegraph De partment, and Messrs Blank and Han ron, of the Eastern Extension Cable Coy., resulted in- the complete restor ation of communication between Cable and Nelson, / Blenheim, WelKngHn and Wanganui on ihe one hand, and Cable Bay -and Sydney on the other. " Within few hours a temporary office had been established, and, all the work is now proceeding with its usual despatch. \ '