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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 548, 23 December 1890, Page 4

Some excitement was caused in Dillmanstown (says the Kumara limes) by a terrible flash of lightning striking a house in the main street. A Mrs Manton bad just risen from her seat at a sewing machine to take delivery Of milk from Mr Passmore, when a blinding flash of lightning descended from a heavy cloud overhead. It hurled Mr Passmore with grea> violence against the dresser inside the room, and threw Mrs Manton with great force against adoor. It shivered a table to atoms, and reduced one of its legs to powder. Outside the house itdideven more destruction. It killed a pig in a sty in Mr Manton’s backyard, drilled a big hole in the framework supporting the tank, and overthrew Mr Passmore’s horse standing attached to the spring cart on the road. A small boy in charge of the horse was knocked down and bruised by the fell. A box, or culvert, crossing the road was also shivered to pieces Mrs Manton describes the occurrence as terrible in the extreme. She says the room was filled with smoke and sulphur, and the blue lightning fizzed and crackled over the steel work of the sewing machine she had so recently been sitting in front of. Indeed, it is her opinion she would have been killed outright had it not been for Mr Passmore’s visit to the house causing her to leave her seat. It may readily be imagined the shock the unusual occurrence gave Mrs Man ton.