Northland Power Failure

Northern Advocate, 17 December 1942, Page 6

Northland Power Failure

Owing to a fault developing in the main Government transmission line at Penrose yesterday, a power failure over the whole of the district reticulated by the North Auckland and Bay of Islands power boards caused considerable interruption to industrial activity yesterday. The day shift had only just commenced at Kamo Collieries, where the current faded until 10.20 a.m. Before this the mine management had notified the men to return to their homes and work was not resumed until 3 p.m., the loss in production being 100 tons. Other Indus- i trial enterprises were also brought to | a standstill. A second interruption! occurred in the late afternoon. The cause of the breaks, stated Mr j G. E. Chamberlain, distribution engineer of the Public Works Depart-, ment, was a fault that developed at J 8.30 a.m. in an oil switch at the Penrose j sub-station, resulting in a fire which damaged the cables feeding the transformers which supply power to the three districts. Even when supply was restored an hour and a-quarter later, restrictions had to be imposed in some districts until 5 p.m. when a full supply was again available. j The Wairua Falls power scheme gave some assistance. The method of distributing supply from the Penrose | and Elendersen sub-stations had to be! completely rein ranged, and new equip-j ment, which was not quite ready, had i to be hurried into commission. A further interruption of 15 minutes' duration occurred at 4.44 p.m., this being necessary to change over from the old to the new method of supply.