MUCH TROUBLE WITH ELECTRICITY.

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

MUCH TROUBLE WITH ELECTRICITY.

HEAVY SNOW BREAKS LINES IN TWO PLACES,

Troubles with electric power began as early as 2.15 a.m. to-day. At that time there were heavy surges on the system. The first interruption occurred on the feeder supplying the Springs-Ellesmere Power Board. The cause was faults on the board’s lines. The trouble continued spasmodically till 7.13 a.m., after which time everything was working well again. The next trouble occurred on another feeder supplying Tai Tapu and Bank's Peninsula. This started at 2.26 a.m., and continued intermittently till 10.45 a.m. The trouble was partly due to the Department’s feeders, and partly to the local authorities’ lines. Trouble on the Lyttelton feedci occurred first at 2.45 a.m., and power wa§ finally restored as lar as Woolston at 7.44 a.m. The supply to Lyttelton was not established till 11.58 a.m. One of the lines broke on the Lyttelton side of the hill. Other feeders supplying the Wai-, mairi County Council and Belfast showed trouble first at 4.30 a.m., and were not finally righted till 9 a.m. The trouble was not due entirely to the Department’s feeders, as no faults were found. The North Canterbury supply failed first at 3.9 a.m., and the trouble continued till 4.32 a.m. The trouble was due to the North Canterbury Power Board’s feeders, but on one of the Department’s two feeders one wire was down at Sockburn. The supply continued on the other feeder. No interruptions occurred to the city supply at Armagh Street, though there were momentary interruptions to the supply at Montreal Street at about 6.13 a.m. and 6.35 a.m. There were momentary interruptions to the supply to the Tramways at 6.13 a.m. and at 6.35 a.m. Otherwise the supply- was all right. The supply to the railway, electrification was not interrupted. The Department sets down the trouble to the heavy snow, which in two cases caused the wires from feeders to break. No trouble was experienced on the transmission lines, there being little snow between Lake Coleridge and Hororata.