STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1430, 3 May 1912, Page 4

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

TELEPHONE - SMASHED TO ATOMS, (By Telegraph—l'ress Association.) Auckland, May 2. A flash of lightning, followed by a very heavy peal ut thunder, was experienced in Cleveland on Tuesday night. At the local post office a telephono instrument was shuck, the wires fused, aild the box with its contents smashed to atoms, and hurled across the room, striking the wall on the opposite side, and fulling'into a chair. The wall was blackened, and holes were burned in telegraph forms. Mr. Robertson, storekeeper, was standing beside his instrument when ho was startled by a Hash some feet long coming iroiu the mouth of the receiver, and followed by a report like a pistol-shot, suliicieuilyloud to alarm the neighbours. A tail pi mo on Mr. George Alexander's property near the road was struck, and spit in pieces. Another tall pine tree near Clevedon Wharf was struck, aud stripped of bark and branches. One of the large telegraph posts was also struck. The wires were broken and fused, and tiie post itself broken dawn. The trees were blazing, but the heavy downpour of rain which immediately followed tno clop extinguished them speedily. Strongs to say, the main telephone from Cicvodou to Papskmu was untouched.