WORCESTER suffered a city-wide power failure this week a century ago.

The Journal reported the emergency under the heading "In Darkest Worcester!"

"Considerable inconvenience, to put it mildly, was caused in the city on Thursday evening by the failure of the electric lighting current.

"The failure was discovered at the Electricity Works just before one o'clock on Thursday morning and a large staff of men were sent out at two o'clock, but the cause of the breakdown was not located until the following day - in one of the high tension mains running from All Hallows to The Cross. The trouble is attributed by the City Electrical Engineer to a short circuit in the main.

"Most of the city's street lighting was out on Thursday evening and through the night, and at hotels, public houses, restaurants and places of entertainment, many ingenious expedients were devised to give lighting of sorts.

"At the Theatre Royal, thanks to prompt measures on the part of the manager, Mr Phelps, the only inconvenience was a delay of 10 minutes in opening the gallery. There is only provision for gas in the footlights of the stage, and a complete installation of lamps was immediately secured and, with these, the vestibule, corridors and staircases were lighted. Many Chinese lanterns illuminated the outside of the theatre and were much admired.

"At one prominent city restaurant, a champagne bottle was placed in light-house fashion upon a pile of oysters as a welcome beacon to the hungry."