CHURCH ON FIRE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 82, 14 April 1913, Page 5

CHURCH ON FIRE.

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

ELECTRICAL PHENOMENON. r l he Fire Station bell rang early this morning at about 4 o’clock, and tho Brigade were notified that the Wesleyan Church, Regan Street, was on fire. Lieutenant Wilson, with tho station staff, was soon on tho scene, and found that a water pipe, apparently heavily charged with electricity was giving a fireworks display, the darting blue flames having set the side of the building alight.- Under tho impression that the disturbance was due to some defect in the electrical circuit, tho brigade communicated with Mr Newton, the managing engineer of the Stratford Electrical Supply Company, and one of tho employees of the company was immediately dispatched to cut the wires. By this time there was no danger of the building catching alight, the electrical disturbances having subsided. The building was only charred at one corner, and £2 will pay all t'he damage done. The question arises, was tho building struck by lightning, or was the outbreak due to a defect in the lines of the Stratford Electric Supply Company? Mr Newton told a reporter this morning that he had little doubt but that during the thunderstorm which raged last night, the church was struck by lightning. He pointed out that when tho roof became charged with static electricity, the water pipe would act as a conductor. But as the pipe does not connect with the ground, the electricity would immediately arc in its endeavour to reach earth. The electric light wires had been cut, because, owing to the telephone wire being down, he was unable to communicate with the Patea power-house, and have the current turned off. If, as it was at first thought, there had been a leakage from the company’s lines on to the church, there would have hpon something to show for this in the lighting arrangements of the church. The lights of the building had been switched on, and were still intact. They were <snly 100-volt lamps, and the 2000 volts would have instantly exploded them.

Asked what would have been the safest course to adopt in the case of an outbreak such as this, Mr Newton said that a piece of iron stuck in the ground and then pushed over till it came into contact with tho. pipe, would have earthed the electricity immediately, and there would have been no danger to the person holding the iron.

The Regan Street Church was inisured in the Methodist Connexional Insurance Fund for £250, but the United Church would have been a heavy loser had the fire not been noticed by Mr F. Cramer, baker, whoso business brings him abroad as early as 4 a.m.