STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14933, 5 March 1912, Page 8

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

CHURCH AND CONVENT. MIRACULOUS ESCAPE <OF NUNS. "A BALL OF FLAME." GREAT STORM IN SYDNEY. [FROM OTTB. OWN CORIIESI'ONDENT.] SfDNET, February 28. An extraordinary storm occurred in the city or. Sunday afternoon. A church and convent, several other buildings, and a dozen tramcars were struck by lightning, a fireball fell at the Zoological Cardans, nearly 20 sailing boats were capsized in the harbour, the- channels were unable to carry away the immense streams of water that flowed down the streets, and houses were flooded, and the storm played havoc with the telegraph and telephone services. During the height of the storm, at about fivo p.m., St. Matthias's Church, Paddington, was struck by lightning, and shortly after smoko was seen issuing from under the slates which cover the roof. Tho rafters and battens forming tho interior part of tho roof wero well alight. Tho rector on entering the building saw the flames extending over four sections of the roofing, but the fire did not spread, as tho brigade quickly got to work. Church workers and others assisted in removing the altar table, the books, lectern, and reading-desk to the school hall. About 9.30 in tho evening, the verger, Mr. E. T. Batty, went round the church to see if all was safe, when ho noticed the roof rafters, which had ignited, were still smouldering. They presented what ho describes as a glow, and ho informed the brigade, who again attended, and applied chemicals to tho burning portions.

About 100 yds from St. Matthias's Church is the Sisters of Charity Convent and school. The members of the Sisterhood were greatly alarmed when the tower of their residence was struck by lightning, and one of the four globular concrete embellishments, weighing' over a hundredweight, placed on the corners of tho tower, toppled down. The dislodged material was known as a finial, and connecting it with the bed of brickwork was a piece of iron. When this was struck a number of bricks fell, and the linial from a height of over 50ft crashed on to the roof of a largo class-room, and then rolled over, landing in front of a doorway leading into the yard. It was retnarKaala that none of the sisters were hurt- Four of them were in the class-room, which is clso used as a study and ■writing-room, and they wore only a few feet away when the roof was smashed, a large gap being made in it, and the plastered ceiling fell.

The waitresses at Sargent's refreshment rooms at the Zoological Gardens, Moore Park, had a terrifying experience. A series of inlet mirror panels add to the light o;E tho room, and according to the statement;! of the girls, each flash of lightning Bcemect to be magnified and repeated by every mirror, and the crashes of thunder appeared to shake the building to its foundations, About five p.m. one of the girls went to the pantry at the back of the building. As she opened the door, so she informed a reporter, the telephone wires overhead appealed to be streaks of flame, and the alarm-bell inside the large refreshment hall started ringing. She was just about to close the door when an awful crash occurred, and at her, feet she says she saw a ball of fire. Describing it, the girl said:- "It was a ball of pale blue flame- with & red centre. It seemed to be whirling along, and almost blindsd m& as I looked at it. The wires overhead were also running with fire, and I shut the avor, rushed inside, and covered my head to shut out tho light and the sounds. Them came two tremendous crashes, the loudest I t>\et heard, and after that things gradually quietened down."

The other waitresses confirmed the itory. Said another one of them: "Wo were all so frightened that we just covered our heads up and waited. We were crying,- too, and still feel shaken. I'm. trembling all over still, and haven't been able to sleep a wink all night. , I never want to go through such a time again,, as the room seemed full of lightning." ! The curator of the Zoologioal Gardens, Mr. De Soeuf; eaid that the falling of the fireball had been reported to him by the head keeper, and, the curator added, with unconscious irony, that it was lucky the fireball fell where it did, and not on the cage of any of the animals. • -