The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-07-16 00:00:00

THE WEATHER.

The intense and glowine heat of the atmosphere for
several days past rendered it obvious to the mealiest phi-
losophical capacity, that the clouds must have been charged
with "an excessive portion of combustible matter, the release
of which was anxiously looked for, in the hope of the air
again becoming supportable.
Between nine and ten o'clock on AVednestlay night this
wish was awfully accomplished. The rain descended in
large drops for some minutes, and the clouds immediately
over the metropolis assumed a thick lowering aspect, as if
collecting force for the approaching elementary contest. At
a quarter after nine o'clock, the noise of distant thunder,
with intermittent fleshings, announced the approaching
storm, which almost immediately became universal. The
rain now descended in torrents; the sky, entirely overcast
by dense clouds, emitted not a ray of light • and the awful
gloom which thus enshrouded the city was broken only by
the vivid glare of the blue lightning teat momentarily illu-
minated the horizon. The proximity of the clouds to the
,earth rendered the effect of each shock proportionably
great: the concussions were not only powerful, but rapid
in succession, communicating a very sensible vibration to
many houses, the foundations of which were literally
shaken by the mere force of sound, for in no other shape
(if the term may be so applied) did it visit the metropolis.
From the bridges the view of this war of elements was
awful, splendid, and sublime. The firmament, as we
before observed, being totally obscured, gave additional
effect to the coruscations of liquid game, which streamed
at intervals through the horizon in forked and fanciful I
lines, displaying in its splendid track a partial view of thel
river, its banks, and their various objects. The rear of I
the thunder formed a most suitable accompaniment to the
display of this magnificent scene.
In the environs of London the storm raged with still
greater violence, and hay left, we learn, more visible mails
of its fury.
Near Brixton ithe fall of rain was excessive, at some
periods assuming rather the descent of a water-spout than
a natural shower. The peals of thunder were less (finis&
here than at other places ; but the lightning was fully as
brilliant; and several trees (one in particular, a fine old
chin in the deustatte of Herbert Forster, Esq.) were quite
scathed.
At Vauxhall Gardens, where the rain fell as heavy Li is
the cjty, when the water-spout like a torrent fell, several
s thought that some pipe connected with the hydras-
te:onhad burst, and called out to that effect. The broad
expansive illumination of the lightning, when contrasted
with the mimic blaze of the artificial lights and fireworks,
was awfully impressive.
In the East part of London much damage has been dose
by the rain. The gratings of the sewers being stopped,
caused many places to form a sheet of water a foot or more
high—such was the state of Lower East Smithfield and'
many parts of Wapping. In Goodman's-yard, Mithries,
the water was above two feet high.
The different wherries on the north side of the River,
at bteak of day, were narly full of water ; so mush ea
that at Billingsgate not a boat could put off to the Ditch
ships, for eels, Ike. till discharged of their water freight-
age. We have not heard of any particular damage amongst
the shipping in the lower part of the River, which, we
hope, have escaped.
The arrivals in London yesterday morning by the mails
state it was one of the most awful thunder storms remem-
bered for a long time. Its commencement at Portsmouth
and Hastings was at half-past seven in the evening, and
continued, with little intermission, all night, accompanied
with heavy rains. The horses, in some instances, were
almost ungovernable. il'e have not heard of any particu-
lar accident having occurred to any of them, and all the
mails arrived in due time. At a place called Binater,
between Banbury and London, two cows and a bull were
killed by the lightning, several houses were unthatched,
chimnies thrown down, and much mischief done.
At sonic distance from London the storm commenced
at an earlier hour—in the neighbourhood of Broxbourne,
in Hertfordshire, as early as between twelve and one o'clock
In the day. The showers of hail were excessively heavy,
and hail-stones were picked up of extraordinary size. Some
of them were one inch and a half in diameter, and almost
every pane of glass was broken, from the ten mile-stone
at Enfield Wash to Hoddestlon. Sir A. Hume, at Worm-
leybury, has suffertil considerably ; the Bev. Piekthall,
rat Broibourne Vicarage, and Mr. Waller, of the Mill, have
aka metalled toosiderahle loss.
Mr. Wellace, a carman of Dartford, in Kent, bad she
, Obis horses killed by lightening during the awful tens-
Ipest of last night, at the door of the Swan Inn, at Cray.
,ford. One of the leaders of a Cranbrooke van, on brit
brought from the stable, was il,scovereil to be blino
Another horse was killed near the Gran-own, Blackheath,
The visitation at Hampstead and Highgate was territi.
,in the extreme; the houses literally rocked; and our
formant (a gentleman residing at the former place) assur,
us that some chimney ornaments in his drawing-room were
thrown down and broken during the awful vibration on the
building, which, he is convinced, must at one time ha,
been struck by lightning, the brick-work round the upper
windows bring completely blackened.
In theneighbourhoed of Greenwich, and.for a consider-
able way along the banks of the river, the destruction
property in the fields h been: veryverygreat ;
sheep which, no as
doubt terrified at the storm, had crept
close together beneath some trees in a field beyond Black-
heath, were found dead yesterday months th!
perfectly singed by the electric fluid.
In various other parts of the country hey old oorm.
stack, have been thrown down and much damaged'
every quarter large forcst-trees appear ia have prindkally
suffered, which circumstance should operate at a caution
to persons against seeking shelter beneath them in such
' cases, a custom which is too commonly adopted.
What is not a little remarkable, there was scsreell
breath of wind the entire time, so that there is no cause
apprehend marine calamities.

TWELFTH OF Jui.r.—A few shots were fired, and a .
shouts given in' College-green, in honour of his braze
Majesty, about 12 o'clock last night. Nothing, however,
calling for any particular notice, occurred. The foot patrol
were in attendance in the neighbourhood, bat very properly
tefrained from making any display.—There was no crow
—Dublin Freeman's Janina.
The Corporation of York have presented the freedom
the City to their Dean, the Rev. Dr. Cockburn.
Porrsmouvit,.lc 13.—As the Baltic Merchant trans-
port, Robert Holman master, with the 75th regiment 1
hoard, bound to Ireland, was this morning endeavouring
.gannt_attarlaur in a perfect calm, with all sail set.
sudden gust of wind heeled her ecinsidenibly down dtf
side, and carried overboard her top-gallant mast with
sail, and a 'min on the yard. The man was provider
tally saved, and no other danyge dune. It thundered
very much here all the inoriguit.
AVe regret sincerely to say, that fever is very mncli on
the increase in this city ; the alarming number of :lt sent
admitted since yesterday morning into the Hospital, whet
101 are now lying in fever.—Dublin
Tit I: STOCKING IVEAt ens.—.l letter rect ived yesterrla
morning from Coventry, states that the troops that were
Hinckley, &c. are ordered off, as the stocking weavers ha,
returned to their work.
A lithographic print has lately appeared in all the prii
shops on the Boulevards, entitled, Opposition de 182 I.
contains a group of siztoen portraits of striking resemblance
of the Members of the Cote Gauche in the Chamber -
Deputies.
A NEW-FASHIONED LOTTEILY.—.I, person in Paris h
lately established a bureau, where those who have ;
money may risk their coat, waistcoat, and even smi
clothes ; the prizes are paid in the same articles. We a:
assured that a poor devil who had lately risked his last pa
of inespreasibles upon a quarterne (four numbers) bad
turn of fortune, and became entitled to receive 73,0.30 pairs
of breeeleca.