The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-07 00:00:00

FOUR PERSONS KILLED BY LIGH7NING

Maidstone providentially escaped any serious con-
sequences from the severe thunderstorm which passed
over us on Tuesday last; but we are sorry to relate
that at Sutton Valence four poor hop-pickers who
had taken refuge in an oasthouse were killed in •
stantaneously by the electric fluid ; one of them, a
woman named Ashman, was in an advanced state of
pregnancy, and leaves one child motherless. Two
of the men have left widows and families, one
of six, the other nine children. The par-
ticulars of the melancholy accident will be found
in the following evidence, which was taken at the
coroner's inquest held by Mr. W. T. Neeve, at the
Queen's Head Inn, on Thursday last. The names of
the decayed persons are George Birehet, John
Hogben, Stephen Kennett, and ISery Ann Ashman.
The first witness called was Richard Hearn, of
Staplehurst, labourer, who deposed—l am drying hops
for Mr. Stunt, on his farm in this parish. The four de-
ceased persons were all picking hops for Mr. Stunt. Oa
Tuesday last, in the afternoon, there was a heavy storm
of rain, thunder, and lightning. A number of the
hop-pickers, and among them the four deceased per-
sons, came into the oasthouse for shelter. Between
four and five o'clock, I was passing from the little
kiln into the great one, when the oasthouse was
struck with lightning, and I saw Mrs. Ashman fall
and take fire. I went up to her and put out the fire.
She was quite dead. When struck she was standing
in the doorway coming out of the great kiln. I then
found Hogben and Birchet close to the door on the
inside of the great kiln ; they were quite dead. On
going upstairs I found Stephen Kennett lying on his
face, not far from the door leading to the drying-
room ; he was quite dead. From the appearance of
the building afterwards, I believe the lightning first
struck one of the cowls and passed down by the door-
ways where the deceased were. There were more than
twenty persons in the oasthouse at the time. The
other persons were not much affected by the light-
ning. I believe all the four deceased persons came
from Brabourn. Mary Ann Ashman was about 24,
Birchet about 50, Kennett 22, and Hogben was 60.
The bodies have remained in the oasthouse ever since,
in the charge of Edward Wright. The building was
for some minutes afterwards filled with vapour. I
believe neither of the deceased spoke after they were
struck. James Philpot, of Sutton Valence, deposed
—I am foreman to Mr. Stunt, on his farm. At about
half-past four, on Tuesday afternoon, I was just out-
side the oasthouse, when I felt that the building was
struck. I looked up instantly, and saw portions of one of
the cowls blown into the air, and a portion of the
tiling was blown off. On going into the oasthouse, I
saw persons taking Mrs. Ashman out into the barn.
She was quite dead. I saw Hogben lying on his
back in the doorway, leading into the kiln. Birchet
was lying close to Hogben, on his face ; they had
been sitting on the step at the doorway leading into
the kiln; they were quite dead; they did not move
at all. Birchet's steel watch-chain was decomposed
—it crumbled between my fingers—
watch glass was gone, and theone woors f
his
the watch were destroyed ;
leather leggings was torn down. About half
t
an hour afterwards I went
up
quarter of an hour
after the building was
sent for, who arrived in about a
found Kennett lyg quite medicaldead.Asairsand there
in man was
struck. The medial man
thought the woman was not dead,
and attempted to
iTh hg the
After
etcbeea si end.
bleed her, but could get but.very little blood from her.
ywere removed for interment to their
The jury returnedkilaledvberydlticgt,ht‘ni
Brabourn. It is in contemplation to
(Iwo
tiwe
ern se t
pa
tachrcie
parish
dhbeoondft ae 151
raise a subscription for the widows and orphans, hand-
some donations towards which have already been re-
ceived from the ever-liberal family at East Sutton-
place.--Maidstone Journal.

How TO BREAK OFF A BAD HA81T...-. The late
Mr. Loudon, the celebrated writer on gardening, &c.,
during the time he was suffering so severely from the pain
in his arm, found no ease but from taking laudanum ; and
he
became at last so habituated to the use of this noxious
potion that ho took a wine-glassful every eight hours.
After the amputation of his arm, however, he wished to
leave off taking it, as he was aware of its injurious effects
upon his general health ; and he contrived to cure himself
by putting a wine-glassful of cold water into his quart
bottle of laudanum every time he took out a wine-glassful
of the potion, so that the mixture gradually became weaker
every day, till at last it was little more than water, and he
found that he had cured himself of this dangerous habit
without experiencing any inconvenience.
DEATH OF MR. BARNES, THE ENGINEER.—We
regret to announce the death of Mr. Joh arnes, w
n Barnes,
took place on Friday, the 24th ultimo, at La Ciotat, near
Marseilles, France, in the 54th year of his age, after an
illness of about six weeks. No serious apprehensions were
entertained in respect to the termination of kis illness until
within a few days of his decease. Mr. Barnes a few years
since was well known in this country as the principal of
the firm of Barnes and Miller (now Miller, Ravenhill, and
Salkeld), but, at the time of his decease, he was directing
the constructing steam-engines and vessels for the service of
the great and well-known establishment, the Messageries
National of France. Mr. Barnes held a distinguished repu-
tation as a constructor of marine steam-engines. His talents
and general acquirements were of a very high order, and, in-
deed, his usefulness as an engineer was admitted by those
who knew him to be unsurpassed. The death of this gen-
tleman (who was brother-in-law of Mr. Miller) will be a
great loss to France, and, indeed, to the whole engineering
world.
LIVERFOOL, WEDNESDAY.—The United States
mail steam-ship Arctic, Luce commander, took her departure
hence to-day, at 12 30 P.M., for New York, with 140
passengers and a full cargo, besides the usual reaile, on
freight.