
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 12, 1993                   TAG: 9306120216
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BEDFORD                                LENGTH: Short

LIGHTS GO OUT FOR BEDFORD AND SNAKE IN WIRING

The lights went out in Bedford for a second time in a week, but this time the culprit was a snake.

Thousands of Bedford city and county residents lost power - some for several days - during last Friday's severe thunderstorm.

Shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday, about 6,000 residents lost power, said Barry Thompson, assistant to the city manager.

A snake had slithered into a transformer at Mosley Station and caused the entire city and some parts of the county to black out, Thompson said. The snake died and power was restored within 90 minutes.

It's not unusual for animals to get into transformers, an Appalachian Power spokesman said.

by CNB