HEAVY THUNDERSTORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5657, 5 January 1880, Page 3

HEAVY THUNDERSTORM.

On th.9 15tb. of December the weather broke bright and after ills severe vainstoim of the prcc. ("'V/g day ami i.ight, but there were indicii,' ; ,n3 which w sutficienfc to cause prudc-r. • men proceeding to bnsioe>s to take their great coats ar.- ! a obre'lr.s with them. At about half-past 10 o'cl ck rain began to fall heavily, and after a smart shower there was a short cessation. This was shortly followed by another heavy shower, and then succeeded a thunderstorm, accompanied by a heavy hailstorm. At first the thunder peals were distant, but the storm-cloud rapidly approachcd the neighbourhood of the city, and the rapid succession of the reverberations of thunder to vivid Sialics of lightning, showed that the proximity of the center of the storm was dangerously close, and so, indeed, it proved to be. A hr;use in Upper Queen-street, just above the residence of Mr. J. B. Russeli, and occupied by Major Withers, officer-in-commaud of the Auckland Volunteer District, was struck by the light ning, and had a narrow escape from beiog consumed, and the inmates, Mrs. Withers and her family, have certainly experienced a fearfully narrow eeoipe. It was shortly after 11 o'clock that the incident occurred. All the windows and to the house were closed, when the lightning, by a peculiar freak, entered the passage of the house, passed Mrs. Withers and her servant, dazzling them by its brilliancy. Tn the kitchen it struck the gis-pipe, melting the lead-pipe and igniting the gas, and it then travelled upstairs to the. roora3 where considerable injury was done,' and effected an escape through the shingled roof, burning a largo space through the saturated shingle?. A number of neighbours came to render assistance and to quench the flames. Amongst the iirst to render effectual assistance was a man in the employ of Mr. Belcher, storeman, who, with the assistance of other neighbours, extinguished the tire in the passage and roof, lIiS. Withers herself rendering prompt assistance by passing buckets of water to those who were engaged extinguishing the fire. The damage sustaiue A extensive, but tlie escape of Mrs. YVHhers and her servant is little less than mi., ui.'us. The building, which is owned b., 'r. Shalders, is insured in the New ZealtiijU office, but for what amount we have not ascertained.