STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 March 1922, Page 5

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

FIVE CATTLE KILLED. SEVERE HAMILTON STORY Hamilton, March 19. One of the moet severe thundenatorma experienced in Hamilton for some time passed over the district to-day. It commenced about 3 a.m. and lasted until about 2 p.m. The lightning wae very vivid, and the thunderclaps particularly loud and long, while there was & torrential downpour of rain. About mid-day there was an exceptionally loud thunderclap, and shortly after five cows, owned by Mr. E. J. Anderson, and a bull, owned by Mr. D. B. Bryant, of Te Rapa, were found to have been struck by lightning The animate were in the middle of a paddock at Te Rapa well away from any trees. Froai their appearance, the lightning had apparently struck them on the back, end passed along to the head, but none of them were badly burned. The cows were valued at £6O, and the bull at about £2O. The rain came down in sheets, tand many low-lying streets mre flooded, while at Frankton the water rose well over the footpaths. A portion of River Road, Claud elands, collapsed, but no other serious damage is reported. The borough engineer and Ims staff were kept busy all day attending to blocked culverts and drains, which wefe quite > unable to cope with the exceptional volume of water. The electrical department reported that the Horahora transmission line had not been affected by the electrical storm, and the only trouble it had tesfl was the blowing out of a few fuses in private houses. The telepiame and telegraph services were not affected. At 9 a.m. to-day the rainfall for tbe 24 hours, as recorded by Dr. Dougina, was 2.94 in., but the heaviest rain fell afterwards. The weather cleared this afternoon, but there is vivid forked lightning tonight and the storm is apparently nob. yet over.