The country papers contain numerous accounts of injuries corn. mitted
by the recent thunder-storms. The following are a few of them.
John Vaughan a native of Brecon, was struck at Glasbury, on the trammed, the fluid penetrating the right side of his trousers, tore open his thigh, melted his watch-chain, and broke the watch ; several of the fragments of glass were driven into his body. He expired instantly.
The London mail to Carlisle was overturned near Woo* the horses being smug( by lightning. The flash was so vivid and powerful, as to drive the animals right into the ditch at the road-side. The coachman was thrown off before the coach upset ; and though he received no se- xions injury, had a narrow escape from being killed, the wheels having passed over the brim of his hat. The guard was also thrown off; but he ton escaped serious harm. There were three passengers inside who were not in the least hurt ; two of them (a lady and a gentleman) were so much frightened that they walked back to Brough, where they remained.
The steeple of the parish-church of Kemple, Wilts, was struck by lightning ; the force of which carried the top into an adjoining field. At the same time, a Man passing about twenty yards from the tower was struck insensible for some minutes. A similar occurrence took place there about ten years ago. On the late occasion, the fluid seems to have been attracted by the weathercock, which it threw down, and descending forced out a great part of two sides of the steeple; it after- wards appears to have passed into the church, filling it with a thick sulphurous smoke. and thence into the earth. Many of the stones were carried tir a considerable distance.
At Melksham, a cow was killed in one field, a lamb in another, and a large oak (under which some labouring men had been considering about taking shelter, but on second thoughts ran home) was rent to pieces, the largest limb being thrown forty-eight yards.
As the Elizabeth and Catherine, Bassett, from Wales to Barnstaple, was proceeding near the Wormshead, the master perceived a bet! of fire at the mast-head. Ile was struck senseless from the helm ; and after lying, as lie supposes, three quarters of an hour across time companion, found, on coming to himself, one of his men senseless on the deck, and the other hanging in the shrouds. The one on deck was not much hurt, but the other one in the rigging was dreadfully burnt in one leg. The fluid had entered at his bosom, and passing between his clothes and skin, had escaped at his ankle; his linen and all the interior part of his clothes were reduced to a mere tinder, and his body was scorched from head to feet. He has since been under the doctor's care, but faint hopes are entertained of his recovery.
In the Buckholt-wood, near Monmouth, the lightning struck an oak- tree ; scattered the bead and limbs in numberless fragments ; passed down the trunk, two feet in diameter, which it shivered so as to make it like an inverted bosom ; and, entering the ground at the roots, forced them out of the earth. Another tree, about twelve yards distant, was at the same time struck by the lightning, stripped of its bark and limbs, and a fissure made in it from top to bottom.
A water-spout burst at \Vest Nab, Marsden, near Huddersfield, on Wednesday week. The water poured from the hills in such torrents as in a few minutes to be four or five feet deep in many of the houses. Many bridges, haystarks,&c. were floated down the river. At Engine Bridge, Huddersfield, the Colne rose four feet in five minutes, and the water was higher than at was ever before known to be at that place.
In the neighbourhood of Sheffield, on Friday sennight, the rivers Den and Sheaf were so alarmingly swollen, that all the works in the neighbourhood were stopped, and the coaches unable to proceed to Don- caster, &e. The lower parts of Sheffield were completely under water; and the flood is said to have been the most terrific ever known.
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