KILLED BY LIGHTNING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18322, 12 February 1923, Page 6

KILLED BY LIGHTNING.

THE FATALITY AT OUST.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH. Saturday. At the inquest into the death of John Allison, who .was killed by lightning at Cust, a farm labourer, Walter Jury, in the employ of Henry Tallott. said that at about 1.45 p.m. on Friday he was on a stack on Tallott's farm. Allison was building the stack, and was on his. feet with a fork in his hands. Witness.had just passed a sheaf to Allison, when he J heard a'loud report,, and'felt as though he had received a blow on the head. | Witness fell off the stack, which, was J about 6ft) high. He was dazed for a., time, but when he became conscious witness saw. Allison being taken down from j the stack. Allison was then dead. • There was a hole burned in the stack. Witness found that the vision of his right eye was deficient, and his eye was also bloodshot; Charles Alexander Grunt, farm labourer in the employ of Tallott, stated ,he was carting into , the stack which Allison was building. Witness had - just about ' emptied his dray of sheaves when he noticed a storm approaching from the north-east, and a, few drops of rain , commenced to fall. Allison spoke of taking shelter as soon as the dray was emptied. - Witness had 'observed no lightning, previous to that. Suddenly he saw the light flash across the prongs of ; his fork, and he heard; a report. Witness' horse bolted. Turning round when about 20ft. from the stack witness saw that both Allison and Jury had disappeared. At the same mdment he • saw smoke rising from the stack. Witness jumped out of the dray and ran back to the stack. He saw one man lying in the smoke. Witness immediately pulled the body off the stack, and found that it was that of Allison, who was then to all appearances dead. The stack did not ignite from ' the top. It was burning from below. : Allison's clothes were also smouldering. Witness' left side, which was nearest Allison, was numbed for a time, and lit ' was "still stiff and sore. • , •> •

Dr. T. A. Will, of Rangiora, said that; having examined, the body and heard the evidence, he had no doubt that the man was killed by a stroke of lightning, and that death was instantaneous. ,