SHOCKING DEATH BY LIGHTNING

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2183, 17 March 1880, Page 3

SHOCKING DEATH BY LIGHTNING

A sad death by lightning occurred shortly after noon on March o, near the Kangaroo Flat railway station, Sandhurst’, Victoria. A man named Martin Maloney, a platelayer on the line, was engaged with three others at the place

mentioned. At the iime ■ !.ited the men were at dinner. Th j do.-iasod and a man named Isaac Griffiths were sittingon a trolly that had been removed from the rails, the wheels having been placed at each end. A thunderstorm came on, and the two men decided to go into a culvert, but just afterwards a Hash of lightning came, striking Maloney and killing him instantaneously. Griffiths was also affected by the stroke, and was rendered insensible for a few minutes. He sustained no serious injury, but his escape was almost miraculous. Maloney's clothes were torn to shreds. His hat could not be found, and the heels of a heavy pair of blucher hoots which lie wore were dragged completely off. The ballast on the lino was also torn up. The injuries to the unfortunate man were described as shocking. The outside skin on being pressed by the fingers pealed off, the face was discoloured, blood was issuing from both cars and nostrils, the hair was singed off the back of the head, the left leg was broken, both bones being shuttered into fragments, both heels were lacerated as if by a knife, and all the bones in their parts were ground up. Two other men who were eating their dinner in a culvert a few yards off, felt the shock, but were not injured. The ganger, Thomas Sharpe, who had charge of the men, and who was engaged diverting the course of a water channel, was knocked into the water but he recovered almost immediately. Not more than a minute elapsed after the shock when Moloney was found dead. An inquest was held snhsequenly, before Mr Strickland, at which a verdict of accidental death was returned. Th? d_HP.esi.sfid. who was about 50 years of age, leaves a wife and family, who reside at Woodend,