The Express.
London, England, 1859-07-04 00:00:00

OILKAT lIIUNDIIt 8701 K.

On Saturday evening, attar a sunset of extreme
beauty, the metropolis was visited by the severest thunder
storm that her occurred this venom. The storm, which had
' been long gathering, did not burst in its full fury nettl about
half-past ten o'clock, and from that time till prat two yester-
day morning continued without intermission, accompanied
by deluging torrents of rain and appalling peals of thunder.
The dirt of the ekctric fluid as it Manhar,ted itself in a thou-
I rag shapes illuminating the whole atmosphere, and showing
the spires of the various churches standing out in dark relief,
woo sattime. Indeed the grandeur of the conflicting °le.
mats In the neighbourhood of the cathedral, keeping up u
It were a perpetual Mut:elastics of that sacred structure, was
toe im to be described. The tempest use al:or-titer one
of • tcemsadoae nature, and ammonia of its disastrous effects
have reached us from various quarters.
A poor fallow, a waggoner, who was on his way to I.7z-
kidge, between Acton and Ealing, was struck by lightning
whaler ruing upon the shaft of Ire waggon, and in a few
=Mutes afterwards was hirers. At Tottenham two ricks of
hay were Unbolt by the electric fluid and totally consumed.
The Vestry-hall of Paddington fa severely injured, as is also
the church of the perish of Hoodoo. A fatal accident is mho
said to have happened at lidgeware.
Abut half-past e!even an intensely vivid flash was in-
stantly followed. by • terrific mash, that shook the homer
to Knightsbridge and in the vicinity of Hyde-park to their
foundations. A lofty elm tree, near the cavalry barricks,
was shattered by the electric fluid, which killed 14 strop be-
neath it; • similar fate betel 16 sheep in Keesington-gerdar,
they having taken shelter under • tree, which was struck.
Thera:faces of the carriage drive and of Rotten-row, in Hyde.
park, ware washed away, many of the principal thoroughfares
were overflowed to the depth of two feet, the water rushing
into the basements and cellars, mach property brag de-
stroyed; tone cattle are rated to have beer killed In Heaney
Dandy,. . . . .

la the neighbourhood of Clapham sad Wandaworth, es on
the lest occasion, the storm was felt with great severity. The
River Womble, near the Wandaworth Railway station, be-
came so swollen with the large body of water which ran into
it f.m the surrounding lends that it buret from its usual
latirsmd carried away with it a portion cf the embank-
saseity tone weight, leaving a rent in the earth of
shoat 14 het wide end 23 feet long. The gardens near the
spot were laid under wow, and much damage wee clued.
In the Wendewortti-road a horse in a asset in which were
two "nen, took fright at a vivid Sash of lightning, sad started
off ate furioua pace, the vehicle, being eventuelly overturned,
and both the men dashed with violence into the roadway.
Oa* of them sustained • compound fracture of the right kg
and other stymy injuries, and the other was also severely hurt.
A female, who sought refuge from thestorta under a doorway
opposite Newington Church was struck to the ground by the
lightning, and when picked up wee quite insensible. She,
, however, partially recovered ; but such vs. the shock to the
' apacehowever,
that the wee mixed with a auceemion of violent flu,
which it was feared would terminate fatally. A serious cm
eUrrelloll also took place on the river Thames. A barge
moored off a wharf near Vauxhall-bridge wee struck by
the lightning ; the watchman on bend was also iejured by
the electric fluid. The maftive stern of the barge we. epUt
open and °theme° considerably demsged. The cellars and
kitchens in the lower part of the South Lambeth and
Wandsworth roods were flooded, and at the Three Goat:
Heads Tavern the water wee 6 feet deep in the cellars. At
the Royal Albeet, near the railway 'web, the flood wee so
alarmingly greet that the furniture in the lower pert of the
building was actually dogleg about, and in the tap-room
the heavy tables were moved about. All the roads in the
locality ware like so many lakes or riven, rendering them
perfectly impassable to pedestrians, end 'early so to the
vehicle,. Battens», Kenningtoto sod Camberwell Peeks
were to some extent laid undo' water, and received great
damage.
All the market gardens along the banks of the rives as
far ea Kingston were flooded, destroy ieg a greet quantity of
the young crops and at Kit peon the mischief ocemioned
by the water Ind lightning was very considerable. Oa
Ditton-common several sheep were killed by the electric
fluid, and some others in the vicinity of Esher and Clare-
mont. The storm occurred during the time of half-flood
tide, or the (fiesta would doubtless have been much more
diamtrons. In the neighbourhood of Formatmet and Vaux-
hall-street, Lambeth, such was the alarm crested in the
minds of some of the inhabitants by the force of the water
rushing into the houses that they ran trim the'r homes,
b. Iteviog that as the houses WeTO very. old the water would
destroy the foundations. la the Keel:Becks-road three men
took shelter under some trees, when the lightniag struck one
of the trees, scattering the breaches in ell directions. Two of
the men, aimed Francis Edwards and Richard Wilke, were
hlld to the ground, both remaining for a considerable time
In a state of inameihllity. la the Dulwich road a
tamed Karl Boutelber, we. Peen bylisome persons euddenlj
to lit: up hie arms end fall forward into the read, and became
ancoasitoue. He was, however, restored to arnritility.
About a quarter alter 10 o'clock the house of Mr. Skelton,
licendraper, Bowmen'.•plsce, Holloway, was struck by
I.ghtaing, and in • few minutia the premises were one moss
of lire. Though the engine* were sr n in attendance, and
there wee a good supply of water, the flume ware not ex-
tinguished until the buil ling and its contents were entirely
destroyed, and the eiljoiniag premises much damsel.
Several other fires also occurred from the Caine canes.

Whilst the storm was at its height, one of the carved
figures on the roof of the convent attached to the Ream
Catholic Cathedral, In St. Georges lelde, Southwark, dell,
and allghto I upon the stone Rage beneath.
The effects of tho storm wer e severely felt at Chatham, Ro-
chester, end Gravesend. At the letter plies It regal with
great violence and wu attended, we regret to say, with fatal
cvnatiquences to some room on board the yacht Albetroer,
the property of Mr. Berseastle. This beautiful new need
ported from her anchor while lying oat the Clifton Baths,
end her rigging getting entangled on bee fouling mother me-
' eel, the Albatross was ogled down to the mier'sedge in
strong tide, and ask with all os beard. Oat of a crew of eight
gareem, we regret to my that three, if sot four, met with a
watery grave. Or gestiames mind Willie by swimming;
another, who me Is his Meth at the time the Albstrom
weal down, was rimmed with only hie sight clothes on, and
carried to Cooper's Colies-hews, in Harmemonet, where be
received prompt attention, sad eecovered enfilcisstly to Mrs
=tiy afternoon. We have sot been able to groom a
the names of the unfortunate roma drown/id.
Southampton mss also visited by the storm which con-
tinued Incessantly for three hours—the sheet and forked
lightning being extremely vivid; the ale also poured down
in torresta. The neighbourhood of the New Forest and
other places la a west rly direct ion were visited, but the inc.
counts webs,* received are not of a seriona nature. Oxford
wee also visited, bat but, damage was indicted.

THUNDERSTORMS AND LIGHTNING
CONDUCTORS.
TO VIII ZDITOS Of 711 Z !SPINS&

Sue,—The becloud for of life and destruction of
=which have him place during the last few years by
in the noighbearbrod of the metropolis and other
rite, dm armed by re mans sa unreeecesbie show
swag the people geserally. We find that each digesters
meetly happen upon open sae:posed lands, such ern high.,
oveimone, ko. haw me, thee, to suggest apes Um wed
elevated spots to be lowa is oar beidea sad oraemose, the
meedes el • her len masts or poles tarnished with lighising
einerwm,sabdtims is our puke • few of the loaded tows
be oleo so ferabibed. each • system of conduotors weal
shied en enceihmt protection, sad could be establiehed et a
Wets' elpseee.
Daring the terrific storm of Saturday night several tress
were shush is Hyde-park and Ketaingtoa-gardens, ad et
the hot of ow boy tree in the furze+ r el son t sow beam
sheep lying dead through the effect of I,geluing. Rag the
storm occurred In the day t me it le fearful to toe
the lose of Una** bfe which might have tsksa pi=
the feet of popes seeking shelter under the lettasula
Idm prek.-1- ke., OWEN ROW