POWER FAILURE

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIV, Issue 1189, 5 October 1945, Page 2

POWER FAILURE

MACROCARPA BREAKS LINES P.W.D. HQRAHORArHATJTAPU SECTION At about 10.30 on Wednesday morning all electrical appliances were brought to a standstill and it was not until 2.45 in the afternoon that power was restored. The break-down was caused by a macrocai’pa tree being blown down and breaking six high tension power lines on the river bank near the bciough abattoirs at Leamington. The six lines were those of the P.W.D. main Hoarhora-Hautapu section.

A gang of workmen were called upon from Claudelands and the power was eventually restored at about 2.45 p.m. It was unfortunate for most householders and caterers that the electric power should fail just as the midday meal was being prepared but it must be admitted that failure of power while a gale is prevailing cannot be contributed to any fault of the power board. In this case a large tree was uprooted and carried away the main power lines in its fall. Several local dairy factories were considerably inconvenienced by the failure of the power when it was most needed during the day. However, every endeavour was made to get their plants going at the earliest possible moment. Although the equinoctial gales generally prevail about September 22 the force of the gale on Wednesday may possibly be a resultant of the equinox being later this year. Th<* town was quite busy on Wednesday as a number of farmers had come to town to attend the bull sale and several caterers found it a difficult task to provide them with the mid-day meal on account of their electrical power being off. At the monthly meeting of the Power Board on Wednesday evening last the engineer (Mr H. C. Oaten) reported that at 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning a branch from one of the gum trees at the back of the High School caused an automatic switch to throw off the current in all that area of the borough from Alpha Street northwards. However by 7 a.m. the trouble had been located and remedied. ~ , Apart from the major trouble to the P.W.D. line (as reported above) other troubles were only of a minor nature.