Council has communicated to us for publication the following report by the Municipal Electrical Engineer on the failure of the electricity supply on the ith instant. The report, which is dated the 18th instant, is as follows:—
Yesterday afternoon at about 3.90 the now 5,000 K.W.A.E.G. turbine at Riverside Power Station broke down: owing to this it was impossible to give a full supply of electricity yesterday evening tween the hours of six and ten, but after that time full service was restored. It may again be impossible this evening to give a full supply during the above mentioned hours, but it is hoped that by to-morrow no curtailment will be necessary.
The cause of the breakdown has not yet been ascertained because all efforts have been concentrated upon re-assembling the No. 2 2,000 K.W. A.E.G. turbine which was at the tims undergoing repair It is feared that the damage to the 5,000 K.W. set is of a serious nature. I am under the impression that the turbine shaft has whipped, and if this is so it will probably be a difficult matter to get the turbine into service again. However, 1g a thorough examination, I prefer to offer no further comments as to the cause of the breakdown. extremely inconvenient that this should have happened at the time when the other A.E.G. turbine is being repaired owing to five turbine wheels and guide buckets in that machine having stripped a few weeks ago. It is also to be noted that the second 5,000 kilowatt machine has not been erected owing to parts of it being held up in Alexandria on the Lutzow. Had this machine been delivered in the time anticipated it would have been erected and put into commission. and yesterday's breakdown would not have caused any serious interruption to the supply. The non: arrival of this machine is dus to the war and not to any Inck of foresight-on the part of the Electricity Department.
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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.