Lightning Strikes – The Death of Mr Carey
It was a Friday afternoon January 25 1901,
Thomas Carey, a farmer near Templers, was returning home after visiting Gawler.
He was riding in a wagon with six horses. His brother, Jeremiah Carey, an
employee of Mr Flett, had also been in Gawler that day, and rode with his
brother as far as Flett’s farm near Roseworthy.
Thomas waited with his horses and wagon
while his brother went into his lodgings and found an overcoat that he gave to
Jeremiah. Mr Flett invited Thomas to park his wagon at the farmhouse and stable
his horses as a fierce storm had settled in. Thomas declined the
invitation. Jeremiah then changed his
clothes and went with Mr Flett to check on an overflowing drain. The men walked
for a little while but noticed Thomas's wagon was sitting idle alongside the
road. They walked over to it and found all six horses and Thomas dead.[1]
Authorities
were alerted, with Mounted Constable Grosser the first on the scene. He found
Thomas Carey sitting in an upright position, his body leaning back on the hay
frame. His feet were resting on the shafts. Thomas’ left leg was scorched above
the ankle, as was the left side of his neck and face. His moustache and hair on
the left of his body was badly singed. Thomas’
body had many small burn marks, especially across his torso. His hat had been
blown off his head and was lying 200 yards away.
The horses were lying dead where they
had stood, with no apparent electrical or fire damage. The wagon was also
unscathed.
Mr A.G. Both, J.P. stated that an inquest was not required and approved for the burial of the man and his horses. The horses were buried in a 10-foot-deep,
former waterhole on the property of James Dingle.[2]
Thomas
Carey was buried at the Willaston Cemetery. The Bunyip newspaper reported that
the funeral procession was one of the longest ever seen in the district at the
time, with over 100 vehicles following the hearse. [3]
Researched
and written by Allen Tiller © 2025
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