SHOPPERS PANIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 281, 28 November 1938, Page 10

SHOPPERS PANIC.

ELECTRICAL STORM. HYSTERIA SEIZES WOWEN. " JUST LIKE AH AIR RAID." I (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNKY, November 24. Remarkable scenes occurred in Hamilton, a suburb of Newcastle, on Saturday (late shopping night) when one of the worst electrical storms in the history of Newcastle burst over Hamilton's shopping centre, which appeared to be the focus of the disturbance: Heavy clouds had been banking up and there was a shattering roar of thunder as the storm burst. The whole lighting system of the town suddenly went out, and in the darkness, occasionally lit by blinding flashes of lightning, hysteria soon seized the crowd of women who had been doing their weekly chopping. "It was like an air rafil.'' said one business man who wan in Sheffield during the war. "Nothing else could describe the panic as women and children screamed in terror and rushed for safety through the first shop doorway." Soon the wildest rumours were circulating. Newcastle was said to be ablaze. This report was caused by a lurid red glow, but the' glow was really only the exaggerated effect upon the clouds oi a large electric sign at the western end of the city. Another rumour was started by screaming women who rushed into oik shop, culling out that Beaumont Streel (the shopping centre) was atire. This report was the result of imagination inspired by terror, when what appearet to be blue lightning flames struck tin street and seemed to run along it. Shat tering thunder peals, which shook evei the largest business premise* alarmingly «»ave support to other more probabl' rumours that buildings had been struck The storm and the panic it causei among the shopping crowd brough business to a standstill for more thai an hour. While the storm was ragin; shop assistants had to forget about try iug to make sales and concentrate 01 calming the shoppers, and bringing ligli into the darkness with candles and elec trie torches tfith which the whole stree was presently dimly illuminated. Aftc the storm was over women refused fo

quite a time to leave the shelter of the stores. The shopkeeper*., realising their emotional state, allowed them to stay until they had recovered.