POWER STATION DAMAGED

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 450, 2 January 1934, Page 6

POWER STATION DAMAGED

CABLE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING Masterton, Dec. 29. Extensive damage was done at the Wairarapa Electric Power Board’s station at Kourarau on Monday morning by fire following an explosion when an underground cable was struck by lightning. The insulation was damaged and a short-circuit occurred which set fire to all the underground cables. When the full load was put on the short-cir-cuit travelled back to the control panels, fusing the controls and setting fire to the instruments, transformers and switchboard controls. On hearing the explosion the engineer in charge rushed into the station, which was found to be a mass of flames. He was hampered by dense black smoke from burning copper and bitumen, and until this cleared in about live to ten minutes it was almost impossible to do anything. The engineer by the aid of extinguishers eventually mastered the flames, but not before considerable damage was done. Repairs have been effected. A severe southerly storm was experienced in Wairarapa to-day, the wind doing considerable damage to fruit trees. There is a good coating of snow on the Tararua Ranges.