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Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2632, 30 November 1915, Page 8

Telegraph poles in open country are particularly liable to injury by light, ning (observes the Auckland "Herald") and during the heavy thunderstorm on November 14 eight poles near Bedvalo were struck. ■ An' interesting set of photographs illustrating the damage haa been obtained by Mr. tt. M. Baird district telegraph engineer. The poles lvero of totara, .and wliile one was split cleanly from tog to bottom, and another scorched along its full length, others were more extensively damoged. One pole' was shattered into fairly large pieces, but the one next to it was burst' into splinters, and only the arms remained floating on the wires.' The upper portion of another pole wos cut off cleanly, and fell to tlie ground. There are six circuits on the northern, line, and only three of ..them were in workable order after the storm. Til© photographs were sent to tho chief itelegraph engineer, Mr. J. Orchistoii, who recalls in a note to Mr. Baird that over 40 years ago 18 poles in one stretch north' 'of Wfliiganui wero reduced to "mincemeat''; by Jightning, f«w ,f the picctt' •axceedme; 6ia. w leugtl.