OurPukekohc East correspondent, writing under date 12th October, sends us the following account of a fearful storm which passed over the district on previous Saturday: —The day closed ominously. Huge masses of black clouds ascended from the horizon and spread in thick folds over the heavens, so that there was complete darkness. The wind came in iitful gusts, increasing in frequency and intensity. .Suddenly the clouds split asunder, and from out of them came Hashes of fork lightning in rapid succession, followed by peals of thunder which shook the earth and spread terror and alarm throughout the district. The clouds thickened, and ever and anon broke into rifts, out of which the vivid flashes belched forth and descended to earth in forked flames. The sight was grand beyond description to those who had sufficient courage to look out upon it. But women and men fled to shelter, shutting doors and windows, and keeping clear from tlie contact of walls, the vicinity of chimneys, and from any substance likely to a 1 tract the electric fluid. Flash succecdcd flash—peal followed peal, the lightning illuminating the whole country around, while the crasli of thunder which could only be likened to the discharge of a park of artillery rolled away in loud echoes into space. Mr. Easton, fearing the worst, jumped np out of bed and found that a large rimu tree, about SO feet high, in close proximity to the homestead, was in llames from bottom to top, having been struck by the clectiic fluid. Tlio storm subsided as morning wore on, when this gentleman made an early inspection and found all that remained was a portion of the trunk charred and blackened. He brought in some of the embers, which wore still ; burning, and lit his lire with them.
A friendly match took place on the 10th Oct., between nine members selected from No. 2 City Company, ancl a like number from the Hobson Company, for a keg of ammunition, in which the former came off victorious.
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New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 4045, 29 October 1874, Page 3
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336Untitled New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 4045, 29 October 1874, Page 3
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