FATAL STORMS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 301, 21 December 1933, Page 9

FATAL STORMS

AUSTRALIA DELUGED LIGHTNING KILLS HORSEMAN SYDNEY, December 7. Severe electrical disturbances, the like of which ar© seldom seen ovon in Australia, have marked the storms that have swept New South Wales Victoria during the past week. Unfortunately the heavy rain has been attended with serious loss of life in Victoria, and in New South Wales a drovor was killed by lightning iu most dramatic circumstances. In Melbourne a boy was caught in the swirling street waters and washed into a huge drain. He was carried along for more than a mile, and he was alive to tell the tale when he emerged into the daylight at tho other end. His was certainly the most remarkable experience. Enormous damage has been done in many districts in Victoria, and repairs to roads and bridges will cost thousands of pounds. In some country towns there was one cloudburst after another, and thousands of stock were drowned. On Monday there was a particularly severe electrical storm in Melbourne. A power house was struck and all the lights in the district it served were extinguished. When a house at Middle Park was struck a hole, 14in in diameter was made in the concrete wall. It seemed as though a ball of flame struck the top of the house. The lights were fused, and the house shook as though it was in the centre of some great earthquake. At Ripponlea lightning struck an axe which had been embedded in tho trunk of a tree. A shower of sparks flew from the axe and residents nearby were greatly startled by the sound of a loud report. The axe was thrown from the tree but the tree itself was undamaged. At East Brunswick all the windows of a hotel -wore broken when the place was struck. Tho noise of the explosion was ear-splitting and could be heard over a w r ide area. The most dramatic incident of tho storms was reported from Billabong Creek, near Parkes, in New South Wales. Thomas Wilson, aged 18 years and his horse were killed instantly when they were struck by lightning. Wilson was returning to the homestead with a mob of sheep when the tragedy occurred. The weather for some days had been overcast and rain , had fallen, and although it was hot and muggy on Monday afternoon it did not appear as though a storm was imminent. Suddenly there was a great flash of lightning followed by a peal cf thunder. Wilson and his horse fell dead. There was not another disturbance that day. An eye-witness said that the flash of lightning and the explosion w~re preceded by a buzzing, as if a, swarm of bees was passing. The noise resembled the explosion of dynamite. For a brief period Wilson and his horse -were surrounded by sparks and the whole scene was brilliantly lit. Wilson did not move, and slowly his horse sagged under him, and both toppled to the ground. About 60 of the sheep were also affected. They rolled on to their sides and then on to their backs. Some of the sheep remained in that position for more than half an hour, but eventually all of them recovered. An examination showed that Wilson had been struck on one side only. Portion of his hair hail been burned, and his clothes wero still smouldering when people rushed to his assistance. It was apparent that he had boon killed instantly.

En New South Wales and Victoria many districts accustomed to drought conditions at this time of the year have been deluged, and the rain has come at a most inopportune time. It is feared that there will be extensive damage to crops. The rain in some quarters of Victoria was so intense that the settlers were in a state of panic for more than three days. Many were rendered homeless as a result, of the storms, and it is thought that the Government will have to come to tho assistance of many settlors who were not in a good position financially. For some time now they have been living from hand to mouth as it were, and this new blow is all the more severe. Whereas this time last year they wore crying out for rain, they have now had too much of it. It is indeed a topsy-turvy world.