The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-05-22 00:00:00

TREMENDOUS THUNDER STORM.

Friday week a very violent storm of thunder was rape-
rienced in different parts of this and the adjoining county
of Westmorland ; and which, as may be observed by refer.
Mine to our Scotch news, extended over tennis districts of
Dumfriesshire.—At Blaithwaite, In the neighbourhood of
Wagner, in this county, the convulsion of the elements was
attended with fatal consequences. As Mr. Thomas Smith,
father of Mr. Daiiiel Smith, mason, was atteediag the work-
room' employed upon a new huildiag belesging to Mr. Mat.
sheennoo thulgsou, of Wigton, he was isstaataneously de-
prived of life by a vivid Sash of electric matter: Ibeerof the
workmen were at the same moment struck dowa,bat, though
much steamed, they were sot seriously injured. A chimney.
piece was split asunder, and other damage done to the build-
iug.—Aliout the same time, Mr. Joseph Brough, of (Nook-
dike, had a cow killed--and ia other places so teenier
does was the storm," as if heaven sad earth were coming to-
gether," the whole atmosphere at times appearing one vi-
vid mass of Same, that very serious apperheasioas were ex-
cited, and hushandatea and others out of doors were com-
pelled to forego their employments —At Bohai Lodge, the
property of the Earl of Lon•dide, and occupied by Mr. John
Dixon, the lightairg struck the chimney-top, whence it dis.
placed a large stone: the electric field then passed into an
upper front room, where it shattered the frame of the window,
broke two squares of glees, and separated a splinter from •
bed post, which it furred into an aperture made is a parti-
tion wall by its passage into another room, where it *hat.
treed another bedpost, and broke three squares of glass. In
the lower story • considerable part of the plaster was torn
from the walls by the action of the subtle element, and
broke three or four panes in the kitchen. Two children, is
this place, were knocked down ; they were taken up appa-
rently lifeless, and continued in that state for some time,
bet have since recovered. The sleeve of the frock of one
of the childresi (a girl) was much torn, and she was scorched
is various parts ul the body —(Carliiie

DVIEFAIrIi. MAT 12.

On the afternoon of Friday last, this town and neighbour-
hood were visited by one of the moat tremendous storms
of thoodernand lightning, rain mad bail, t►at has ever oc-
curred is the memory of the oldest inhabitants. The storm
began a little before three o'clock, apparently is the east,
and went off by the south-west a few minutes past four,
having lasted upwards of an boar with almost unabated
fury. For some time every succeeding peal appeared to be
inure tremendous than that which preceded. Yet notwith-
standing the dreadful threatesings, no accident happened
in this town or its immediate neighbourhood ; but at Mar-
leyrigg, in the parish of Kirkmahoe, • few miles distant,
the electric fluid entered the house of Mr. Joseph Black-
stock, who with his wife, servant, and five children, nar-
rowly escaped death from this powerful sad subtle agent.
In this instance the lightning, which is supposed to have
entered by the chimney top, struck the fluor in its descent, '
in which it left • large bole, carried off Mrs. Utarketock's
clog (a wooden shoe), tore away t►e under part of her stock-
ing, and slightly lacerated her foot sad kg, while she sat
rucking an infant in the cradle—killed • beggar's dog which
lay at his mistress's feet—broke and displaced various arti-
cles of funiitare--4nd then, escaping i■ various directions,
carried away oue half of the house-dour, and *early all the
willow's—mid lastly, catered either by Ilw kitchen wall, or
none other passage, into a byre and cart-house adjoining,
where it killed four sheep, Ansd stripped the feathers cum•
plrtely off the wing and breast of a poor hen, which had
retired there for shelter. At the time that the lielitaing first
entered the chimney, Mr. Blackatock was struck on the left
shoulder and cheek. which threw kin. into • state of illlerefi.
biro.; and when he recovered, the apartment was so ettas-
pletely filled with smoke, that he believed the house to beam
fire. His first cure was to save his wife and family, whom
he carried, as be could find them amidst the darken., into
the bars, which, bring slated, he considered • place of greater
safety, not knowing when hr returned sheds,' r he should find
the nest child alive. lie then ran to alarm his neighbours,
with the view of *Arius his fnruilnre, sad it was not until
his return, when the VOitrtflrf of smoke had dissipated, he
discovered that the home nod its inhabitants had been pre-
served from de traction in the same miraculous siamisr.

On Thursday evening se'imight a corporal or the
38th regiment walked over Guy's Quay, Plymouth,
and, being rather inebriated, pulled his wife and
I.lllld after him into the water. I. r utan.r.l y. a gen-
tleman saw the accident, and reword them Irma
their perilous rituation.