AUCKLAND'S ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 6 May 1914, Page 8

AUCKLAND'S ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

EXCITEMENT AND CONFUSION

MAN SERIOUSLY INJURED

BY TELEGKAPH —PKESS ASSOCIATION. . AUCKLAND, May 5.

For a short time,this afternoon there was a period of excitement and confusion in the city. A number of railway workmen were engaged on the telephone lines near Newmarket Railway, when the telephone wire came into contact with a wire carrying the high voltage of the city electrical power-house. ; The wires in the railway telephone exchange immediately fused, putting all the railway telephones, telegraph and tablet signalling system out of operation for about fifteen miles south of the city. This disorganised the train services, but a pilot system was quickly established, and two hours later trains were back at schedule. A considerable amount of damage has apparently been done to the electrical systems," and it will be some time before they are in proper order again. When the wires fused a fire broke out in the box fixed on a pole in front of the post office where the railway wires are gathered into a cable. This blazed fiercely, and a fire alarm was sent from the post office to the Brigade station. The Fire Superintendent, thinking it a fire in the post office brought the motor engine into crowded Queen street at 30 miles an hour. Just as'the motor was approaching Wellesley street intersection a tram car began .to swing round the corner. The driver of the big 45----horse-power motor feared a collision with the car and tried to cross to the .other side of the street and avoid it. He failed, however, to clear the tramway standard in the centre of the ■|tre"et and struck the pole a violent blow. All the men were thrown off the motor on to the street, and Fireman James Mackay was severely injured and now lies in the hospital" in a serious condition. The other men had a miraculous escape. The motor was severely damaged.