A NARROW ESCAPE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 138, 13 June 1877, Page 4

A NARROW ESCAPE.

The following account of a marvellous escape from death by lightning is gathered by the Bathurst Free Press from a private letter from one of the parties concerned to a relative in Bathurst:—" On Thursday, 10th inst., Mra Ashbury, who resides with her husband in J Pen«tb, in the" performance of her household work bad occasion to go to a water cask at the rear of the house, where one of her 'eons named Albert was standing. Immediately upon reaching the spot, Mrs Ashbury received a shock as if some hard sub. stance had struck her head near the right ear, and .fell blinded to the earth in a state of unconsciousness. When her senses returned she felt tbat her strength was gone, and as Mr Ashbury ' was a way from home, and the other children some distance from the house, no immediate help was available. Shortly afterwards, however, one of the lads came up from tke paddock, complaining that something bad struck him heavily on the head, and that he oonld hardly walk. Mrs Ashbury called out to the lad that she had been shot, that the bullet had lodged in ber head, that she fanoied that she could see smoke all round her, that she could not move, * and that she thought hor right hand and arm bad been shattered to pieces. At this juncture a young man named Fulton, who was on the premises, ran to Mrs Ashley's assistance, and after carrying her into the house returned to look for her son Albert. He found him leaning over the water-cask in the same position as that in which his mother bad first seen him, but perfectly unconscious, and having the appearanoe of a corpse. Without delay he was also also oarried into the houae, and restoratives were applied, which, after a considerable lapse of time, proved effectual io bringing him to his senses. On examination by a medical man, it was found that there was a scar running from the ohest downwards, as though a hot iron bar had been pressed upon the flesh, snd the hair behind his ear had been singed off. It was also discovered that the shirt which he had been wearing was scorohed as though with a hot iron, and that it smelt of sulphur. An examination of Mrs Ashbury led to tbe discovery tbat her arm borea discolored mark from the wrist to the elbow. Both patients are now slowly recovering, bot are still very weak and nervous and the injured lad suffers very much from pain in one of his ears, from which there has been a discharge of bloody matter since the occurrence. No mention is made in the letter of rain, but ! there oan be no doubt that the shock and injuries received by Mrs Ashbury and her aon was caused by lightning, and their escape from a shocking death is looked upon as little short of miraculous.'*