POWER LINE TO PORT IS BROKEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19133, 28 July 1930, Page 9

POWER LINE TO PORT IS BROKEN.

GANGS SENT OUT HAVE HARD REPAIRING TASK. The biggest local power failure caused by this morning’s heavy fall of snow was the breaking of the power line between Heathcote and Lyttelton. The line was broken at 4 a.m., and it was 11.55 a.m. before it had been repaired. The break interfered with the working of the various engineering shops in Lyttelton, with the working of the electric cranes on the wharves, and with the ordinary domestic supply. Right through the morning work in the shops and on the wharves was seriously retarded. Early risers in Lyttelton had to call in the aid of the humble candle, and many lamented Jhe temporary uselessness of their heating and cooking arrangements. The first train from Christchurch to Lyttelton arrived at Heathcote on schedule time, but there it encountered spasmodic power failures that delayed its arrival in Lyttelton till 7.24 a.m. Schedule time was 6.43 a.m. The first train from Lyttelton, which was timed to leave at 6.49 a.m., did not leave till 7 a.m. Unenviable Task. Gangs of Public Works Department men left early from both Lyttelton and Heathcote to cope with the break in the power line. Theirs was a most unenviable task, for they had to pack their gear and climb laboriously up the Port Hills to locate the breaks. The line was down in many places, and the work would have been hard in any circumstances, but with the snow deep all round and a keen wind blowing it was doubly difficult. It was impossible to get a car up the roads, on account of the snow and the steep inclines, and the men had to walk and carry all their heavy apparatus. Big gangs were sent out to make the operations as expeditious as possible.

RANGIORA IS UNDER HEAVY WHITE BLANKET.

This morning Rangiora was covered with the heaviest fall of snow since the record fall in 1918. Towards midnight on Sunday the south-west wind, which had been little more than a breeze during the evening, increased to about half gale force and was bitterly cold. Rain commenced to fall soon after midnight, and later it started to snow.

At daylight the snow was two inches deep, and four inches by nine o’clock. At this hour the weather commenced to break, and glimpses of blue sky, with occasional gleams of sunshine, indicated that the worst of the storm was over. The weather continued squally and bitterly cold. The storm did not reach very far inland, there being only a light fall of snow at Cust, and practically dry weather at Bennetts and Oxford. Dust was flying on the roads between the two places. At Oxford, however, the morning was one of the coldest experienced for 3-ears past. Although the sun was shining, there was a severe frost, the washing hung on the clothes lines being frozen stiff. There was very little snow on the downs and hills between Oxford and Mount Grey, and in the North Loburn district. At Waikari there was about two inches of snow on the ground. It was rapvdly thawing by" noon.

SNOW CAUSES ELECTRIC CAR TO LEAVE RAILS.

The electric battery railway car which runs between Christchurch and Little River was derailed in the Christchurch station yard this morning when the points were fouled through snow. After some time, the car was replaced on the track. But in the meantime, a steam train had been sent out to Little River.