AUCKLAND THUNDERSTORM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3615, 26 June 1923, Page 5

AUCKLAND THUNDERSTORM.

A STARTLING EXPERIENCE. i'Frou Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, June 18. Stormy, weather, with a heavy thunderstorm early yesterday morning, has made matters very unpleasant for some days. A startling experience befel Mr W. Birkenhead and his family, of Mount Eden. During the height of the thunderstorm a particularly vivid -flash of lightning struck the house. An amateur wireless plant which surmounted an outlying shed.in the neighbouring property of Mr le Grice was connected to the chimney of Mr Birkenhead’s property. and acted as a receiver. The effect was that the chimney top was shattered, the bricks falling on the roof and frightening the inmates. Travelling down the chimney, the lightning ended ,by blowing away a considerable portion of fireplace beneath and doing much damage to the hearth and tiles. The owner of the house was occupied yesterday in dismantling portions of the wrecked chimney, and it is probable that much, if not all of it, will require to be rebuilt. . A peculiar coincidence is that the telephone of Mr le Grice also received the “shock,” with the result that the telephone instrument in the hall was badly shattered and partially wrecked. At Waimauku a horse wa3 killed by lightning.