13 Hour Power outage
Published on June 9th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - A new transformer Boston Edison installed Tuesday on Waverly Avenue should put an end to reoccurring outages on Cedarway and other afflicted Stoneham streets, according to Boston Edison Community Relations Representative Joe Connolly.
June Nightingale of 9 Cedar-way hopes it does.
"In this heat, 13 hours without power is too much," Nightingale said.
She is a disabled senior citizen, and she said she worries about another neighbor who is on oxygen.
Nightingale says her street has lost power four times in the past two weeks, and the lights, when on, flicker.
Neighbor Frances Ewing was also concerned, and angry.
"The first few times they were quick to fix it, but then it happened again, and it was at least 13 hours," Ewing said.
"We had to double our work force yesterday afternoon," Connolly said. "But if we have 100 people or 1,000 people, the 101st or 1,001st person will get a busy signal."
Nightingale wanted to know why her power had gone out multiple times.
With rising temperatures and a dramatic increase in the use of air conditioners, the system bringing power to homes is taxed, Connolly explained.
"The (Boston Edison) system can handle heat waves like this, and has in the past, but eventually transformers will go, like brakes on a car," Connolly said.
Boston Edison workers worked a double shift yesterday in attempts to fix pocket outages in locations including Stoneham, Winchester, Newton, Boston, Lexington and Burlington.
"We didn't have any circuits out, just six houses here, 12 houses there," Connolly said.
Cedarway was one of the many pocket outages experienced. This pocket had a weak transformer. Earlier outages were signs of this weakness, and on Monday night the dying transformer died.
Connolly said Boston Edison is working to repair old equipment and asking major customers to cut back their electricity use in an attempt to prevent further outages.
"We asked the Copley Plaza to shut off their down escalators," Connolly said.
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