The Sun.
London, England, 1837-07-25 00:00:00

THUNDER STORMS.

YORIC.—Last Friday afternoon, this city was visited with
a severe storm of thunder, lightning, and hail, which, it
appears from the following accounts, has taken a very ex-
tensive range. The thunder was awfully loud, and the
lightning very vivid, the hail and rain descending with great
violence. Happily we have not. heard of much damage
being occasioned by it here, but we understand the side of
an old house in the Shambles, occupied by Mr. Hammond,
was struck by the lightning, and forced down against an ad-
joining building.—York Courant.
NORTHALLERTON.—During the thunderstorm, on Fri-
day last, a fine cow belonging to John Hill, of Grindstone
Brook, near Northallerton, was killed by the lightning,
and another was so severely injured that it is not expected
to recover.

ABERFORD.—Considerable damage was done at this
place, on Friday, by the lightning and hail, the latter, de-
scending more in the form of lumps of ice than hailstones,
broke glass to the amount of nearly 1,0001. in the gardens,
&c., of Oliver Gascoigne, Esq., at Parlington. Several
windows in the town of Aberford were also broken.

BRAMLIAM.—A cottage occupied by an elderly man of
the name of Mark Rhodes and his wife, at this place, was
struck by the lightning on Friday, and the. thatch set on
fire. The old couple were extricated with difficulty, and
the engine from G. L. Fox's, Esq., of Bramham Park,
being procured, the fire was got under, but not until the
roof was destroyed, and had fallen in upon the floor of the
cottage.
THORPACIL—On Friday forenoon the town of Boston,
near Thorpach, was visited by two distinct storms of thun-
der, lightning, and hail. At the second visitation we have
not heard of any particular damage being done, but during
the first storm, which came on between ten and eleven
o'clock, the electric fluid entered the house of Colonel
Pitts, and struck the posts in one of the bed-rooms, split-
ting them and setting the bed on fire ; thence it darted into
the adjoining house, occupied by Mrs. Peacock, the doors
of which were shattered. Providentially no personal injury
was sustained.

DUR11.131.-Mr. James Summers, at his farm on Bras-
side Moor, within about three miles of the city of Durham,
had a stack of oats burnt to ashes, on Sunday last, from
the effects of lightning, which was extremely vivid and close
in that neighbourhood. Had not the timely assistance of a
fire-engine from the city of Durham been obtained, in all
probability the loss would have been considerable, as there
were several other stacks within communication.

DattuNGTow.—On Saturday, Darlington was visited
by a dreadful storm of hail and rain. In many places the
hail was five or six inches deep, and so large that they mea-
sured four inches and a half in circumference. A great
many of the houses were completely inundated. Parlours,
kitchens, shops, and back shops shared the same fate. In
many places the water was nearly two feet deep. A sta-
tioner at the corner of the street sat upon his counter and
saw the paper parcels floating before his eyes. The water
was knee-deep in the middle of the street. Strange to say,
the storm was confined to within a mile all round Dar-
lington.

SUNDERLAND.—During the last few days we have had
sundry very heavy showers of rain, accompanied with the
most vivid flashes of lightnicg, and awful peals of thunder.
On Friday last the lightning struck down to the ground a
watchmaker in Bishopwearmouth when at work in his shop,
two sawyers in a ship-building yard, and several chimneys.
Tue Bridge-house at Sunderland was most severely struck
with the electric fluid on the same day, when one of the
large sash windows was entirely forced in with a dreadful
crash, and a number of squares of glass broken. The stone
nu:l wood work were also broken and rent in several places.
Hundreds of persons have been viewing the house at the
bridge. We have not heard of any person being injured.
NEWCASTLE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD.—On Thursday, Fri-
day, Saturday, and Sunday last, we had some thunder and
lightning, accompanied by partial but refreshing showers of
rain. On Thursday the electric fluid entered a public-
house at the Low Felling, where were several persons, but
they all providentially escaped without injury. The storm
0:1 Friday was dreadful in the neighbourhood of \Vinlaton.
The thunder was more than usually loud, and the lightning
was very vivid at Newcastle on Sunday. Rain fell also in
perfect torrents. Indeed, we scarcely ever remember so
much to have fallen in so short a space of time. The
chimney of Mr. Wm. Beaumont's house at Greenfield-
place, Westgate, was struck by the lightning, and the
bricks fell through the roof of Mr. Mackreth's house ; the
electric fluid then entered the servant's bed-room, singed a
gown that was hung up, and made several holes in it, dis-
c.,loured the wall, then passed along the bell wire, melting
us it went, continuing to follow the wire into the drawing
room ; it then found a passage into the adjoining house.,
occupied by Misses Wright, who were from home, again
foqowed the bell wires to the front door, where it shattered
the frame, and so quitted the premises. Mr. Maekreth's
servant was thrown down in the kitchen, but was not hurt ;
neither Mr. nor Mrs. Mackreth sustained any injury. A
strong smell of sulphur was felt after the lightning had
passed through the house. It is remarkable that on Sun-
day the 16th July, forty years ago, a similar storm visited
Whitley.

LARGO.—On Friday afternoon, about three o'lock, as
several inhabitants of the viilage of Upper Largo in Fife,
were playing at quoits on the Links adjoining Mr. I3eve-
ridge's farm, several loud peals of thunder were heard ;
the sky was at this time tolerably clear, but in less than five
minutes from the time of the first peal, it became covered
with black clouds. The men who were playing, and the
6:kers on, immediately prepared to go home, but without
a moment's warning, two men, with teir wives and chil-
dren, eleven persons in all, who were a little behind the
others, were suddenly heard to scream ; a tremendous
peal of thunder followed, and on looking back, nothing was
seen but a dense cloud of smoke. On going up to the
poor people, they were all quite dead except one child.
One of the men had his head shattered into a thousand
fragments, and quite blackened. All the rest were more
or less burnt. This awful event has made a deep impres-
sion on the villagers.—Corcespondent of the Scotsman.

WESTMINSTER LITERARY AND
MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

The first Quarterly General Meeting of the members of
tl.is Institution was held at the Infant School Room in Vin-
cent-square, on Wednesday evening last, Wm. Page Wood,
F.R.S., the eminent Chancery Barrister, son of Al-
derman Wood, and one of the Vice-Presidents of
the Institution, in the Chair.

A very excellent and satisfactory Report, from the Com-
mittee of Management, was read to the meeting, and vari-
ous passages alluding to the prosperous state and future
prospects of the Institution, elicited the warmest appro-
bation. Besides :the subscriptions of the Members—
which have been more than sufficient to defray the current
expences of the quarter—various donations of money have
been received from the President of the Institution, the
Right Honourable James Abercrombie, the Speaker of the
late House of Commons (who was prevented being present
by hai.ing made arrangements to leave town on the
same morning), 15/. ; John Temple Leader, Esq., 20/. ;
Charles Hindley, Esq., M. P., 10/. ; William Coo-
per, Esq., 101. ; Messrs. Elliott, the brewers, 101. ;
J. C. Wood, Esq., 10/. ; a complete set of the " Bridge-
water Treatises," and 51., from the Chairman ; the Rev. Dr.
Williamson, Head Master of the Westminster School, 51. ;
the Rev. H. H. Milman, Prebendary and Minister of St.
Margaret's, Westminster, who delivered the opening address,
which has since been published, at the request of the Society,
.51. ; the like sum and a donation of books from the Rev. John
Jennings, Prebendary and Rector of St. John's, Westminster;
Mr. Sheriff Johnson, Si. ; Wm. Freeman, Esq. ; the Trea-
surer of the Institution, M. ; and a donation of money and
books from the Hon. Chetwvnd Talbot, &c. &c. ; leaving a
balance of nearly 200/. in favour of the Institution in the Lon-
don and Westminster Bank ; and several valuable ?resents of
books, apparatus, minerals, and services from several of the
Committee and other members of the Institution.

The number of members already amounts to about 330, and
classes have been established for the study of the French and
Latin languages, music, literary composition, modelling, and
for the human figure; linear, ornamental, and perspective
drawing ; and others are in the course of formation.
At t 6 conclusion of the report the Chairman, in an elo-
quent address, in the course of which he was frequently ap-
plauded, pointed out the advantages of the institution, and the
best means of rendering it of still more extensive utility,
and dwelt particularly on the necessity of providing central
and eligible premises, and a convenient lecture-room, the house
at present occupied by the institution, No. 5, Little Smith-
street, being, although well adapted for its infant state, too
confined for its permanent or lengthened occupation, and
above all, not immediately adjacent to the place where the
lectures are delivered weekly.
Thanks were unanimously voted to the Committe of Ma-
nagement for their exertions, to the gentlemen who have given
gr ituitous lectures and services, as well as to those who have
given donations of money, books, &c., to the institution ; and
likewise to the Chairman, for his able and impartial conduct
in the chair, who briefly returned thanki, and the meeting
l,roke up at ton o'clock.

A serious quarrel having last week arisen between
two naval officers at Toulon the Admiral authorised their de-
it in a duel. The parties met, measured swords, and
at the first lunge one of them, a Lieutenant, was severely
wounded in the hip, but it is hoped not mortally. The affair,
however, is not expected to rest here, as the honour of a
whole family is implicated, and two brothers of the wounded
Lieutenant are said to have decla:ed their determination to
to take up the cause, and call out the successful combatant in
succession.

On Thursday morning the body of a male new-born
infant, with a stone tied round its neck, was found in the canal
near the Sydney-gardens, Bath. An inquest was held the
same day, when the surgeon gave it as his opinion that the
child, which is a line full-grown infant, had died from drown-
ing. Verdict--" Wilful murder against some person un-
nown."—Bath Clu•onicle,

PRICES OF CANALS, DOCK STOCKS,

ASSURANCE COMPANIES,&c. &c. &c.

LONDON, FRIDAY, JULY 21.
Number Dividend Price
of per CANALS, per
Shares. Annum. Paid. Share.
1,766 7 pei cent. Ashton and Oldham....Average 971. 18s. sh. 135
1,482 41. Ashby-de-la-Zouch ... ...... Average 113/.sh. 65
4,200 ...../7 .. Basingstoke lOOl. sh. 54
1,005 5 Brecknock and Abergavenny 150'. sh. 100
8,000 1-16 sh. 9/. 9s. Birmingham, 1-16th share .........841. & 711. 218
4,000 Ditto and Liverpool Junct...1251. sh. 100 pd 31
600 Bridgewater and Taunton ....1001. sh. all pd 64
400 V. Chelmer and 131ackwater 1001. sh. 102
500 481. Coventry 1001. sh. 700
4,545 Croydon Average 31/. 2s. 10d. sh. 3
2,060; 41. Os. Dudley lOO/. sh. 85
600 7/. Derby 1001. sh. 133
20,000
3,573; 31. Ellesmere and Cheater...... Average 1331. slt. 80
231 40/. Erewash 1001. an. 670
1,297 23/. Forth and Clyde Average 4001.10,- kh. 610
11 .44 12/. Grand Junction 1001. sh. 204
2," .1 ii. Grand Union 1001. sh. 24
1.500 Grand Surrey ... lOOl. sh. 20
120,0004 41. per cent. Ditto (optional) Loan... 1001. '7O
3,096 Grand Western 1001. sh. all pd
600 131. lthi. lid. Glamorganshire, Average cost 1721. 13.. 4d. 230
749 10s. Grantham 1501. sh. 202
6,233 11. 15s. Huddersfield Average 571. 6s. 6d. sh. 35
100 Kensington 100 sh. all pd. 10
25,326 11. 2s. Kennet andgt Avon, Average 391. 18a. 10d. sh. 22;
2,8971 201. Leeds and Liverpool 1001. sh. 570
5454 13/. Leicester llO4 sh. 20C
1,897 41. 10.. Leicester an 4 Northampion...Aver 531. !Os, 85
2,400 101. Monmouthshire 100/.Bh. 200
154) 101. Melton Mowbray 1001. sh. 200
500 251. Mersey and Irwell 1001. sh. 560
3,000 1/. 10s. Macclesfield 1001. sh. all pd. 54
247 17!. Neath
1,786 30!. Oxford 100/. sh. 528
.. . .

2,400 51. Peak Forest .. ....... ...Ave' “ge about 781. sh. 1(4
21,419 I2s. Regent's (or London) Aver. 331. 16s. &1. sh. :6
5,609 6!. per cent. Rochdale Average SU. sh. 114
500 81. Shropshire 1'251. sh. 138
800 91. 10s. Somerset Coal 1501. sh. 148
3,6001. 41 per cent. Ditto Lock Fund Stock l2l. 105. sh. 113
700 404 Stafford and Worcester 140/. sh. 710
500 91. Shrewsbury 1251. sh. 24:1
300 91. Stourbridge
3,647 21. ia. Stratford-on. Avon ...Average 791. 9s. od. sh. 50
5:11 12/. Swansea 100/. sh. 220
3,7fr2 11. 9s. Severn and Wye and Railway-Av 351. sh. 261
2,601 sn. 321. Ws. Trent and Mersey, 1 share 100/. sh. 550
0,149 Thames -rid Medway...Aver. 191. ss. Sd. sh. 2
1,0005h.1 is/. Warwick aad Birmingham ...... lOO/. sh 2.:^l,ooofih. j '
940 Ils. Warwick and Napton lOO/. sh. ISO
6,000 41.05. Worcest ,r ane Birmingham...Av.7s/.Bs. sh. SI
5,001 225. \Vilts an.. Berks .. Average 671. 10s. 8.1. sh. 2ti
800 at. Wyrley and Essington 1251. sh 75
126 Wisbeach
905 1!. Wey aryl Arun llO/. sh. 22
DOCKS.

2100 & I3p. c. Commercial .lOOl. sh. 55
1,06.1a5h
t15,667f/. 6 per ct. East India Stock 116
3,238,310!/. 51.5. p.ct. London Stock 52;
Ditto Bonds
1,3S0,000;. 5/. per ct. West India
2,-.:OJ 21. 19s. Bristol
at 5,2.2.41. 51. per cent. Ditto Notes, various amounts ll3
1.352,752 4p. r cent. St. K—tthattne Stock 91
500,003 4 per cent Ditto Bonds
200,000 4 per cent. Ditto Bonds ii.r 10 years 99
Shoreham klai hour
2.5P0 ........ Deptford Piet 'kg. sh. 3!.
Bitlt)GES.

I XXI I: s. ilamlnersrn.tt 5Ol. sh. 221
7,2.31 Southwark, Old Ay. cat. :16. M. sh. 2
1,700 11. 15s. Ditto, New, of 71 per cent. 5Ol. sh. 14
5,000 Waterloo lOOl sh. 41
5,000 186. Sd. Ditto, Old Annuities of V/. ... ..... 601. pd 18i
5,000 IN. 4d. Ditto, New Ditto of 71 401. pd 15i
60,000/. 51. per cent. Ditto Bonds llB
5,818 14s Vauxhall.-- •.. ..•.. Av ‘rage 701. jos. 3d. sh lei
.._ . ....„.