CYCLONIC STORM.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20477, 1 December 1934, Page 27 (Supplement)

CYCLONIC STORM.

Two Men Killed by Lightning. DAMAGE IN VICTORIA. Cyclonic storms swept across Victoria from west on November 7, and caused widespread damage in many country districts. Two men were killed by lightning while they were sheltering under a tree' in the Horsham district, and a third man was severely burned. The storms were accompanied by torrential rain and hail, which caused floodings, washaways on railway lines, damage to crops and interruption of most forms of communication. When the storm reached the Horsham district, lightning struck and killed two men, and seriously burned a third at Brimpaen, twenty-five miles from Horsham. The victims were Johann Henry Gross, aged about fifty, and a man named Voight, aged about thirty. Albert Gross, son of Johann Gross, was critically burned. The three men, who were father, son and employee, were hunting rabbits in the bed of a creek. When the storm began they took shelter under a large tree. The lightning flash missed the tree and struck the men. Johann Gross was killed instantly, and Voight died soon afterwards. Albert Gross’s clothes were nearly burned from his body. Boys Rescued from Trees. Blowing down buildings, trees and fences, the storm struck Ouyen. Mr L. Kennedy’s blacksmith shop was flattened and Mr Kennedy had a narrow escape. The grandstand at the Ouyen showground was unroofed. Plateglass windows were broken and chimneys were blown down. Thousands of trees were uprooted and tanks . were blown more than 200 yards. Buildings at Kiamil and Tiega railway stations were torn from their foundations. Almost every windmill in the district was wrecked and all telephone services were disrupted. Crops were flattened and farm buildings Roads are blocked with fallen trees. At Woomelang the water penetrated the roofs of shops and offices and flooded streets. Crops were damaged, and three windmills, the property of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, were smashed. Blown half a mile, the Gun Club’s shed was wrecked. Chimneys were broken and trees were uprooted, smashing telephone lines. Leslie Smith, aged 18 years; Robert Ilandley, aged 15 years; Leonard Taylor, aged 9 years; John Horton, aged 8 years, and Mark Horton, aged 5-1 3 ears, were trapped at Ilurstbridge by flood waters from the Djamond Creek while they were hunting rabbits. They climbed trees and waited two hours until they were rescued by three men, who swam the bywash with ropes and brought them to safety^ Collapse of a House. Between Managatang and Bolton, j crops were ruined and houses were damaged. Three inches of rain fell. A house about three miles from Bolton, belonging to Mr F. Serpell, was destroyed. Mr Serpell, his wife and two children were in the house when it collapsed, and Mr Serpell received severe injuries. He was removed to hospital. Mrs Serpell received minor I abrasions, but the children were not hurt. At Culgoa, trees and fences were blown down. Most of the houses were flooded. A large tree less than forty y r ards from the main street was struck by lightning. The rain gauge at the post office was blown away. Other gauges registered falls of 13in in less than half an hour. Poultry-breeders lost heavily. At Stawell, 87 points of rain fell in ! twenty minutes. At Pomonal 2in fell | in half an hour. Mr W. R. Archibald’s | orchard in the foothills of the Gram- ! pians was severely damaged. Soil and i debris were washed down the hillside. . covering the orchard to a depth of I ; several feet. Tobacco seedlings were | : washed out. At Hall's Gap, 2.70 in of j ; rain fell. At Kirkella Station,* over an | inch fell in half an hour. w