STORM DAMAGE TO ELECTRIC LINES.

Shannon News, 18 May 1928, Page 3

STORM DAMAGE TO ELECTRIC LINES.

DANGER FROM TREES RECOGNISED BY POWER BOARD.

Reference to the damage done by the recent easterly gale was contained in the report of the Horowhenua Power Board's engineer (Mr J. A. Smith), presented at the monthly meeting on Tuesday. He stated: — "On the 30th April and Ist May, a heavy easterly gale brought down a number of trees and branches, which fell across various lines, causing a large amount of damage and inconvenience. Thirteen lines were broken, 12 of which were through trees falling across them, and the other one through a sheet of roofing-iron being blown across the wires. It is a pity that owners of trees adjacent to the lines will not realise the danger, inconvenience, and risk that is run through their not keeping tlie trees' 1 " trimmed back sufficiently, or taking them down, when they are in an unsafe condition." • /,' The chairman (Mr Monk)-, in commenting on the report, stated.that considerable interruption had been caused at various times through falling branches and limbs of trees adjacent to the Board's lines. Consumers could help the Board considerably by keeping their trees trimmed back. He was not going to suggest that that would wholly stop the interruptions, because in a heavy gale the limbs of trees might be blown a considerable; distance. Still, if people would assist the Board in the way he had suggested, they would save interruptions of, the service which were very troublesome to the staff; and there would also be a saving to the Board, because in such emergencies the men had to work long hours, which involved, in some cases, the payment .of considerable overtime, These delays were also an inconvenience to the consumers. It might be necessary for tLe Board specially to consider this question in the future*, because in some instances the Board itself had had tc undertake the cutting of trees-—a work which should not of it. Mr W. E. Barber said that probably a good part of the precautions taken by the Board in "this respect was against westerly gales. He noticed that it was easterly and the north easterly gales that were doing the dam age. A lot of the trees were not cut back with those gales in view, and the Manawatu Board was complaining of ;he same defect.

The Engineer (Mr J. A. Smith) stated that a number of the trees were rooted right out. The' chairman expressed the opinion that the trees in this district stood a westerly better because it was the prevailing wind. Mr Barber: You get more slashing blows from the north-east. It is on record where it blew the Manawatu train off just above Shannon. The Engineer remarked that the rceent gale nearly blew the cars off the road.

The Chairman: I saw some cars off tho road afterwards, but they looked as if they had run off. Mr Barber suggested that a report \ be procured as to any trees which it j would be advisable to have removed. ( The Chairman: The Post and Tele-1 graph Department are trimming trees I right through on their main lines. One can readily understand that, when our lines were put up, there were plenty of trees not long planted; but six or seven years' growth has made a great difference to them. Some of them may have grown so much that, by being blown out by the roots, they would reach the lines. Mr Barber stated that on the night of the gale the whole of the telegraph and telephone communication between Foxton and Palmerston North;Was cut, and he had had to go to Rangiotu to ring-up Palmerston. The power supply was all right, however.