GIGANTIC "FIREBALL."

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 99, 27 April 1903, Page 5

GIGANTIC "FIREBALL."

UNROOFS HOTELS AND HOUSES.

AND COSTS £5000 IN A FEW SECONDS.

SYDNEY. April 26.

Following close on the heels of the flood, Cootaniundra had a startling visitation of an opposite character during the early hours of Saturday morning.

What is described by a few eye-wit-nesses who saw it as an immense ball of fire, accompanied by a rushing sound resembling thunder, struck one of the main streets and traversed a considerable • distance, unroofing and wrecking buildings in its track, destroying the telegraph Avires, and generally working havoc.

The people rushed into the streets in their night clothes, panic stricken.

The Commercial Hotel was almost demolished, and the Globe Hotel and a number of other buildings badly damaged.

There were many narrow escapes. Some were buried and slightly hurt by the debris, but none were seriously injured.

The damage is estimated at £5000. The incident lasted only a few seconds. Heavy rain was falling at the time.

(Received 10.G a.m.)

SYDNEY, April 27

The Cootaniundra Phenomenon appear 3to have resembled an enormously powerful electric discharge.lt was attracted by the telegraph wires, which it followed 'till it reached the Telegraph Office, where the current was broken. The oflice was considerably damaged.

Thence it crossed to .other streets, smashing trees and damaging, buildings. A rumbling noise, preceded by a loud explosion, accompanied a reddish light resembling that of "fire balls."