DEATH BY LIGHTNING

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 111, 7 November 1933, Page 5

DEATH BY LIGHTNING

EXTRAORDINARY EFFECTS

CLOTHING DISINTEGRATED

A Maori 30- years of age, named Hohapata Whanau, was killed by; lightning at Omata at 7- p.m. on Thursday last. He and one of his sons, eight years of age, were walking in a paddock when the flash occurred, and the boy and a dog were thrown to th» ground-but not injured. . j An inquest was held yesterday. ; The medical evidence disclosed marks of scorching on the body, and earrbleeding indicating a fracture of the base of the skull. The Coroner returned a formal verdict that death was due to the,deceased being struck by lightning. The most striking evidence of .the effects of the lightning was afforded by the silent witness of the deceased's clothing, a photograph of which appears on this page; The clothing- was torn to pieces, in some.parts to shreds, and. some bits were picked up as far as 30 feet from : the- body. The boots were shattered, having large pieces blown out of them, and the man's cap was reduced to shreds, even the stiffener being forced out of the brim. Some of the brass e'yolets from the boots were found driven into the ground, and in. oneboot was part of a sock that appeared to have been pressed into the leather, by enormous force. In striking contrast to the shattered clothing, the unfortunate man's body wa!s but slightly, burned. The medical evidence referred, to indications of a'fractured"skull!"""*.'. This fatality gives an unusually vivid impression of what occurs to the victim of lightning; The whole; phenomenon occupies only a minute fraction of a. second; There is,Jnthat -brief- time, :a great expenditure of energy in the. form, of heat, as is indicated: by- the scorching of both body; and clothes,_and • a secondary but inevitable-.effect is.that, any moisture in and on,the elothiug:_and skin is instantaneously flashed into, steam, resulting in ;a violent: explosion. It is this which causes the astonishing destruction, of clothing, and1 which ■is more than sufficient to cause death without any electrical, assistance. i People who are.in the close-neighbour-hood'of a;lightning discharge are liable to suffer a more or less'severe electric shock -without themselves being struck. This is due to the' fact that~the intense electrical field which. exists up to tHe time of the flash causes .them t0.'.1)» highly charged electrically,, and ,th# charge : escapes' at the- moment .'of ;th» flash, through the abolition .of its cUuee.