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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 51, 22 February 1876, Page 2

The Thorndon baths at "Wellington are a surprising success. The shareholders rejoice and the public are pleased, as evidenced by the fact that from the Ist of January to the 2fjth ; 5300 persons visited the baths. The green crops throughout the Grey Valley have suffered severely from the long prevailing drought, in fact ihe potato yield will be scarcely worth the name of a crop. The oat crop is all but harvested, and the yield, whether for grain or cut feed, has been much below the average of former seasons. The pastures have also felt the want of rain, and the grass suffered early in the season fpom the ravages of a small but very mischievous!

grub, which attacked the roots, and cut clean through the stems of the young feed. — Agurs. X remarkable incident and surprising escape occurred lately at Hyde, New South Wales a heavy thunderstorm, at Mr Alderman Heard's house. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that two girls, one the daughter oi Mr Heard, and the other of Mr Gascoigne, and each about twelve years of age, were in an upstaiis room sitting b}' a closed window, when a very vivid flash of lightning occurred, shaking the whole building. The parents in th© room below heariug the children fall, ran upstairs, and were greatly shocked to find them lying on the "floor apparently dead. They were at once carried down, still showing no signs ot life. Dr Hudson, of Hyde, was immediately sent for. On arrival he found the girls in a state of collapse from the shock, but by the administration of stimulants and other restoratives, and free action on the surface of the bodies, succeeded in producing some degree of animation, to the great relief ot the distressed relatives. It was, however, a long time before complete consciousness was recovered, and not until several hours after the occurrence could the patients speak or see distinctly. The escape of the children was providential, iv view of the fact that the lightning actually struck them, ot which there can be no doubt, as there are holes burnt in parts of their bodies— in the case uf Mr Heard's daughter, a large blistered scar extending from the left shoulder downwards across the breast to the right hip, all the garments showing precisely corresponding marks. The girls are so far doing well, and Dr Hudson reports them as in a fair way to recovery, but likely, to suffer for some time to come from the severe nervous shock.

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