ELECTRICAL FAILURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27196, 27 September 1949, Page 6

ELECTRICAL FAILURE

EXPLOSION IN SUB-STATION CONSIDERABLE INCONVENIENCE PA . CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 26. An electrical failure in the main substation of the Municipal Electricity Department in Armagh street about 1.45 p.m. to-day caused widespread power failures over most parts of Christchurch. Power was resumed in the city area about an hour later, but many suburbs were without power for several hours. £ The' breakdown has meant that less power can be passed through the substation, which serves most of the city *orth of the main south 'railway line. 'This evening there were black-outs in Several districts as the load at the substation became too great. An appeal 'has been issued to all consumers to conserve power during the peak' loading periods until further notice. Engineers of the department did not know what caused the breakdown, which was accompanied by an explosion in the sub-station. During the "afternoon and evening they have been .felly absorbed in seeing that the demand did not exceed the supply. y A biscuit factory was one of the chief losers from the power failure. ..The electric ovens were nearly full WVhen the breakdown occurred, and batches of biscuits amounting to many hundredweights were ruined. An elec-fro-plating firm had two big baths filled with metal articles, including a large batch of toasters, teapots and similar utensils. These will have to be cleaned and polished again and the plating process redone completely.