ARAPUNI’S “FIRST SLIP”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 681, 5 June 1929, Page 18

ARAPUNI’S “FIRST SLIP”

POWER FAILS LAST NIGHT HALF HOUR’S STOPPAGE Through a fault in a transmission line from Horahora to Rotorua the auxiliary plant at Arapuni hydro-electric power station came to a standstill at 11.30 last evening. As a result the power supply to Auckland was cut off and a large part of the city and suburbs was thrown into darkness. Trams on all routes except Great South Road, Onehunga, Remeura and Mount Eden stood idle on the tracks for about 25 minutes. Power was then made available from the King’s Wharf station. The supply from Arapuni was restored at 12.20 this morning, after a delay of 50 minutes. The Horohora-Rotorua section, on which the fault occurred, is part of the line from Horahora to Arapuni temporarily supplying electricity for auxiliary plant at Arapuni, such as pumps and station load upon which the working of the main generator is dependent.

From 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon Arapuni current was available in Auckland, the quantity coming through being 12,000 k.w. This was not distributed over separate districts but was sent over the city and suburbs in conjunction with power from King’s Wharf until about half a.n hour before the failure when Arapuni was carrying nearly the entire load. X 4 ’ortunately, when the stoppage occurred, most of the people had gone to bed, and then had little need for light. Had the fault developed an hour earlier the heavily-laden trams carrying home the theatre crowds would have been rendered useless.