POWER BOARD AFFAIRS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23279, 15 August 1945, Page 4

POWER BOARD AFFAIRS

Increase In Sales And Consumers Report Of Snow Damage In Area Sales of electricity by the South Canterbury Power Board for the quarter ended June 30 amounted to £25,879, an increase of £2(>93 over the sales for the corresponding period last year. Income for the last quarter showed a surplus of £515 over expenditure, seated the manager <Mr J. M. Bishop* I m his quarterly report to the Board • yesterday. Units sold during the ' quarter amounted to 8.732.201 compared with 7.842.430 during April-June. I 1944. I There were 17 new consumers during I July. the engineer 'Mr A. F. LeeSmith) stated in his monthly report. Seven of these were at Temuka, five in Levels County, three at Waimate and one each at Geraldine and Fairlie. In July, 1941. there were five new consumers. There was an increase in the maximum demand of 548 k.v.a. during the month as compared with the same period last year. Snow Damage “I must mention the snow storm of July 13-14, mainly a coastal to footnills storm which subjected our older distribution lines to a loading of four inches to 5 inches of snow, never before experienced. One has to go back to 1903, when no distribution and few, if anv. Post and T- ’egraph lines existed, to'hear of six i ches to eight inches snow depth wit.iin the vicinity of Timaru." Mr Lee-Smith continued. •’Although the snow depth within boroughs increased from Waimate northwards to a maximum of 14 inches in Geraldine, the breaks within boroughs was surprisingly light, the smaller covered service wires to the houses being vulnerable. Our main feeders north and south began to give trouble about 2.30 a.m. as did many oi the subsidiary feeders at outlying substations. Just prior to this the switches supplying the Timaru Borough Council were also opening and finally the Public Works Department substation became isolated from 110,000 volt supply both from Coleridge and trom Waitaki Hydro due to breaks. I "Patrol northwards by the P.W.D. ' was impossible, but by cue gang workImg up from Glenavy and one down [ from Timaru. power was restored on one line Hom Glenavy by 1.15 p.m. that day. at Timaru Borough Council sub-station at 2.15 p.m. and to parts oi Timaru Borough by 3.20 p.m.. Waimate 5.30 p.m., Temuka 5.30 p.m., Fairlie 6 p.m.. Geraldine 8.05 p.m. "The following five days were spent in effecting repairs, and by the following Thursday evening the system was almost back to normal as regards supply, but far from normal in condition. ’ As most of the lines affected i were not built for snow, temporary jointing at the breaks was resorted tu Scores oi light stay wires are broken, pole top pins strained, angle poles I must be straightened, and a legacy of I reinstatement is needed before we are back to anything like normal. "Mention must be made,” he said “of I the long hours put in by the staff I under most trying conditions, and the . willingness to return to work each night until a late hour.” He also mentioned that Mr J. A. Macbeth who, on I his return from Geraldine reported I here on the condition oi the main line, and offered to return to Geraldine to help the staff there. It was accepted and he was there for four 15-hour days.