Major Power Failure Has Unusual Cause

Chronicle (Levin), 19 July 1948, Page 5

Major Power Failure Has Unusual Cause

(tSSn ^ Press Association )

(Per

WELLINGTON, July 18. In tlie view of linesmen wtto repairetl a snapped'-110,00a-volt power transniisJcn line five miles soutli of Arapuni .lyiro-electrie station today, the break ..as caused by a nickei-coated hullet. dhe breaking^ caused power- failures throughout the North Island south oi garue for periods up to two hours about 11 a.m. The linesmen found oue of the two 1 lt),0J()-volt heavy copper conductbrs which run from Arapuni to Ongarue, broken and lying on the ground midway between two pylons. Each of the iviroken ends showe'd markings of nickel such as might come from a nickel coat ed bullet. About 11.2 a.m., two oil circuit breakers of the Arapuni-Ongarue transmission lines, threw out and one of the iines showed aJ'anlt. At the same time oil circuit breakers on the Waikaremuana- Woodville transmission lines threw out and those of the two generators at Tuai power station also. The general-manager of the fState Il.vdro-eiectric Department, Mr. A. E. 'Davenport, giviug this information toniglit, said the breaking of all these cireuits threw the whole of the load from distriets south of Ongarue, on to Mangahao station which was unable" to carry it -and had to be "cl'eared" from the circuit. At the same time communication between the various stntions becaine very diflicult. The radio cireuits failed and the telepliones- became extremely bad. The throwing out >f the Woodville and Tuai cireuits indicated trouble at Tuai. This had to be iiivestigated before tliose cireuits cotrld be restored. Attempts were made to restore power from Arapuni on the ono goocl line but they were defeated by the load being too heavy and throwing out the circuit again. It .was not until power was available from Waikaremoana at 12,15 pan. that conditions became reasonably stable. Mr. Davenpprt said the Department could not, at* present explain the trippiug of the switches at Woodville.. It was a most regrettable happening for without it there would have been no iaterruption of power. The broken Arapuni line was restored at 5.40 p.m. In Wellington the periods of power failure varied in dilferent distriets but were 011 an average of about 1J hours. Trams stopped rtinning and many mid ; day meals were delayed. Two trips each way of the electrie units 011 th Johnsonville railwgy line were caneelled and buses substituted. Delayed dinners were the order of the day in Palmerston North yesterday as a result of the power failure.