THIS week's historic image is a bit unusual as it is a pair of wrecked hand-made leather boots. This photo was taken by Beavis Bros, Bathurst photographers, who were soon on the scene of a tragic incident where a young man was killed by lightning. The Bathurst Free Press And Mining Journal covered the sad event that happened on Sunday, April 4, 1897.
Losing one's life from a lightning strike was unusual.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
One incident happened in the Bathurst district on February 11, 1854.
A person in the service of Mr Finch was struck dead by lightning while in the bush. His body was only found after a two-day search when decomposition had proceeded very considerably.
An inquest was held upon the body and a verdict returned in accordance with the nature of the case.
The Bathurst newspapers in the 1800s often contained weather reports which incorporated lightning, such as one in mid-August 1873:
"A very heavy thunderstorm burst over Bathurst at midnight on Wednesday," it was reported.
"The lightning was very vivid and the thunder appalling. The rain, though it lasted but a short time, submerged all the low-lying lands and filled the creeks to overflowing. No damage is yet reported."
A youth named Norman Carter was struck by lightning during a phenomenal storm at Bathurst In March 1914 on a Tuesday.
"He received the shock on his neck and had to be taken home and given medical attention," it was reported.
"Miss Effie Moore, who was standing nearby, also received a lightning stroke on the arm."
The details that related to this week's photo are as follows.
"At about 10.30am in the morning, heavy, threatening clouds began to gather in the west, and as they rose, rumblings of distant thunder were heard, giving evidence of the near approach of a thunderstorm.
"Suddenly, from out of one of the heaviest clouds, there was a remarkably vivid flash of chain lightning, followed by a peal of thunder, startling and deafening, and the general exclamation was that the lightning had struck something.
"But the citizens were not prepared for the awful news that soon spread through the town, and which sent a thrill of horror through the whole community."
That news was to the effect that a young man named Edward Augustine Donnelly had been struck dead in Bentinck Street and that a companion who was walking with him had also been smitten down and was in a critical condition.
The news was speedily confirmed, and the streets were soon alive with people hastening to the scene of the dreadful occurrence.
It appeared that the deceased and his companion had gone up to St Stanislaus' College to see some of the students and, observing the approaching storm, were hurrying down Bentinck Street homewards to escape it.
They had reached the corner of Rocket and Bentinck streets and were opposite the residence of Hon. S. Smith, temporarily occupied by Mr Blackstone, telegraph station master, when the thunderbolt fell.
A little girl happened to be running through the park gate opposite at the moment and saw the two young men fall.
Mrs Blackstone, who was at breakfast at the time, having been startled by the shock, went out and also became aware of the occurrence.
Almost simultaneously, the discovery was also made by Mr Silcocks, and a companion, standing at the rear of their residence higher up the street.
The latter did not observe any flash, but noticed that as the thunder crash came, smoke or dust appeared to rise from a pile of bricks in the yard and ran across the footpath in the street.
It was while following the course of this that their eyes fell upon the prostrate forms of the two young men in its direct line, and they at once realised the dreadful nature of the visitation.
