The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-06-30 00:00:00

811KRBORICE.

THVNDELSTORiII. The long-expected rain made its
appearance on Tuesday night, when • fine, refreshing
shower fell.
ell. Next morning opened brilliantly, but the
glees stowd sulkily iielow kr, and promised those who
understood it a soaking shower. About midday it Came
down gloriously, accompanied by tremendous peals of
thunder, the storm breaking exactly over Sherbonie. In
Cold Harbour the lightning, which was intensely vivid,.
struck the faces of • row of cottages in a " Drangway.
Apparently, the first object struck was the northern end
of the cottage occupied by Mr. George Morrie, a labourer,
in the employ of Mr. W. Coat, farmer. It carried away
the chimney into the garden below, and stripped nearly
the whole of the tiles off the roof, many of them being
shattered into pieces. The ceilings of the bedrooms fell
in, and numerous articles were much injured. The
windows of the front bedrooms and those downstairs
were smashed into pieces, and the stones of the front of
the house, from the eaves to the foundation under the
window of the living room, were displaced, as though a
mighty blow had been levelled at them. In this house
live Morris and his wife, anal Stephen Brown and his wife
and their children. Brown's wife is the daughter of
Morris, and only three days ago won confined. She wax
consequently in bed, and with her was the babe. Iler
mother was sitting in the same room sin a box at the foot
of the besl, and we learn from her that when the flash
burst forth, she heard a great crash and was instantly
struck and fell to the floor. A slight war in left on her
fare. The stocking (on her leg) was split from the very
top down into the least, and the boot was likewise smith
No bruises appears, but the flesh presents a rather
discoloured appearance. The ceiling, and even the tiles,
fell in on the mother and child in bed; but, as Mr.
Curtis happened to witness the catastrophe, assistance
was speedily rendered, which undoubtedly prevented
suffocation or injury from blown. Mr. Curti*, Mrs. Seeger
and her son
O, and Mrs. C:urtin were soon open the wrecked
premises. n reaching the stair landing, they saw a child
in besl in the front liedroom, covered with rubbish, the
ceiling having partially fallen on it, The little thing was
immediately carried down, and we are happy to my its
injuries are not of a serious nature. In Use hack bedroom
were discovered, amongst the debris, Mrs. Morrie on the
floor, and her daughter and babe in bed, it waa the work
of only a few momenta to remove the bed and its occu-
pants, as well as Mrs. Morris, to a place of safety. Thus
the top storey was cleared of all human being.. In the
window of the living room downstairs was found another
babe lying on • cushion. It was surrounded with lead,
wood, sod broken glass, beaten in frosts the window only
two met above, and with • quantity of veiling plaster.
The poor child's (astern' were very much "drawn," and it
was taken up for dead, but we find it hex recovered, and
Is getting on nicely. The babe is Charity Smith's daughter
of Widow Smith, sand was left with Mrs. Morris for a
little while. In the adjoining house, occupied by Widow
, Smith, an old man named Jaines was going upstairs to
put away his work for fear of its being injyred with the
rain, and when nearing the top he was struck backwards
and fell to the bottom of the MAIN, severely bruising hie
head and arm. Samuel French, who lives in the adjoin
ing dwelling, was standing at his window attending to a
bird, lle was knocked down. Several other people living
near were much shaken and frightened. On the opposite
side of the road is a large elm tree, just inside the high
boundary well of Mlle. Vsuitini's Held. A stream of
the fluid wad observed to fall in this tree, and its
is thewn down the trunk by the stripping of the rerrZal:
acvend places. The tree appeared to be in • blaze. Well
behind this tree, between stand the wall, was standing •
donkey,. womb Isad no doubt gone thither for shelter.
The thud which slown the tree must have struck
this poor animal Which beionged to Or. ilighmore), for
it IVIIA found dead. Near It were lying five dead birds, all
having niet a similar fate. Curiously enough, one of them,
a sparrow, had had all its feathers picked," except those
of one wing anti a portion of the head, but the skin was
at broken. Down the outside of this wall another
streare el the electric fluid must have passed, as the
stones age losoli loosened and displaced the whole depth,
sad the pathdaY was cut up as though it had been
"pecked.' The cluck.* it sea end housed were stopped.
Mr. Kite's dwelling house was 411% shaken considerably.
A number of benevolent persons stepped faineant to assist
those whose houses were wrecked.