CHASED BY LIGHTNING.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1075, 1 December 1882, Page 3

CHASED BY LIGHTNING.

Mr G. M. Park, telegraphed officer in charge at Masterion, has given to the local Star details of a sensational incident that no. uired in bis office cm Nov. 4 during a thunderstorm then prevailing :—“ When the storm was at i a height Mr. Park was in ihe veran 'ah, when his attention was arrested by a sound cf scampeiing over the fi or. Throwing the door open, be was astonished at seeing bis assistant, Mr Sykes, raslrng precipitately from the operating room, and with the agiii y of a juvenile antelope dealing the counter at a single omul. When be bad recovered from bis exhaus ion be breatiilesdy related his adventures. While the thunder was p-ahng ovt rhea I hj« was in the act of ‘calling on W llington,’ and had his finger on the nob of the instrument, when he received a sharp jerk up his arm that sent him reeling towards tie centre of the room, and a most threw him on his back. At the same moment the t>st hoard, where the wires inert seemed to be a mass of > finding flame, the wires einitled a crackling sound, and sparks and sheets of livid lurid hue spread themselves. In vain the operator sought shell er. With hands over his ears he rnshe I under the table, and then from crner to corner, but s’iM the lighti ing bnlts appeared to puisne him, and tiieio ra becoming (file l with strong sulphurous fumes he Hi a'iy made his way to the street, in the precipitate manner described. The electric fl it i seems to have slid along the uires with more rxpertness than any burglar, lor them are no signs of damage at hj; point of en ranee. The test po nt is a piece of varnished timber, fastened to the p'.astere I wall, 4ft. by 18in. in depth. On this the viims wires terminate, and by means of small connecting pieces can be brought together at pleasure. In the outre is what is termed the earth wire, intended to conduct the current to the ground beneath, and attached to the earth wire are five of .Siemens’ patent Ugh’ning guards The force of the li htning appears to have been spent on the cen'ra' pa"t i f the board, for the connecting wires are scorched, partly melted, and i" tb" centre oppesi'e the earth wire, the point of departure is indieaed by a bit taken as neatly out of the connecting wi es ;-s if it had been done with a file. The lightning guards beneath are broad p eces of boo, almost resembling flit-irons, vi died across, and these have been fits <1 in placrs. Mr Park had to replace the damaged wire with new pieces. Some of the limned fragments are on view at the office, while one o" two samples have been sent to Dr Lemon, the beat of the department.”