KILLED BY LIGHTNING.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1922, Page 10

KILLED BY LIGHTNING.

MAN AND YOUNG BOY, BOTH STRUCK WHILE IN STREET. Two persons were killed and two were injured by lightning in Sydney recently. Those killed were Walter Henry Spring, aged 38 years, a carter by occupation,. and a boy named Leslie Wylie, aged 10 years. Another boy, Leonard Richarson, aged 15 years, was injured, together with a young man whose name was not known. Spring was driving a horse lorry, laden with sand, through a. gate near a new building in Campsie street, at 4.30 p.m., when there was a bright flash of lightning, followed by a deafening roar of thunder. The lorry was struck, and Spring was killed instantly. The other three were standing nearby, looking on. The dead boy’s mother was in front of the house, and witnessed the accident. Wylie was lifted off his feet and thrown down the street about thirty yards. The other two were also thrown down. Mrs. Wylie carried her boy, who was still alive, inside. Another lady, who witnessed the accident, tried to lift Spring’s body from the lorry, but could not. The injured man, who was very badly shaken, but not otherwise hurt, rode a bicycle to the Canterbury-Bankstown ambulance room at Campsie, about a mile away, and told of the accident. Chief Officer Wood and Ambulance Officer Bergin were on the scene in two minutes. As they were driving along the street they were often temporarily blinded by the lightning. They saw that Spring was dead, but tried to revive him. After a few minutes’ work they gave it up, and went to help Wylie and Richardson. They were both unconscious, but Mr. Wood brought Richardson round. Mr. Bergin failed to revive Wylie. The bodies of Spring and Wylie were taken to the Croydon morgue, and Richardson was taken to the Croydon Hospital, where Dr. Gordon admitted him in a serious condition. Spring left a widow and family.

Tt is said that lightning never strikes twice in the same place. But it is a remarkable coincidence that the biggest lightning accident that has occurred in New South Wales happened within a mile of this latest tragedy. On November 20. 1916, it began to rain heavily, just after the last race at the Canterbury racecourse. The lightning and thunder were terrifying, and twelve people were struck; and one— Mr. John E. Gilbert—was killed.