The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-09 00:00:00

THE AWFUL THUNDER STORM
ON SUNDAY-SERIOUS AND FATAL AC-
CIDENTS.

On Sunday afternoon and evening the metropolis and
its neighbourhood, particularly westward, was visited by
one of the most severe storms, or rather succession of
storms, of thunder and lightning remembered for many
years, which we regret to state has been attended by nu-
merous accidents, some of which have been of a fatal nature.
During the early part of the day the sky was perfectly clear,
and the air serene, but about two o'clock the beat became
most oppressive, scarcely a breath of air stirring, which
continued until late in the evening. About five o'clock
dense masses of clouds commenced gathering from the
south-west, and by seven o'clock the whole sky became
overcast, and the temperature extremely sultry, and a few
minutes afterwards severai tremendous claps of thunder,pre-
ceded by vivid flashes of lightning, burst over the western
suburbs. Scarcely any rain fell at the time in the neigh-
bourhood of the metropolis, and towards the end of the
torm, which lasted about ht If-an-hour, what trifling
ind there was suddenly shifted to the south-east, carrying
he greatest violence of the tempest over Windsor and
the lower portion of Berkshire, where the havoc done by
the bail, which fell of a size scarcely to be precedented,
has, we understand, been most extensive. Nearer town,
particularly about New Brentford, much damage was done I
by the lightning. A child belonging to a fisherman named I
Clark, residing in Catherine-wheel-yard in that town, was, I
about half-past six o'clock, struck by the electric fluid and I
instantly killed. Nearly at the same moment the house
of Mr. Cooper, surgeon, adjoining the Castle Tavern,
was struck by the lightning, which entered the window of
the nursery on the second floor, demolishing the glass, and,
passing down the house, escaped at the front door. For-
tunately none of the children were in the nursery at the
time, or the consequences might have been most fatal.
Within a few minutes afterwards a man named John Bolton,
an inhabitant of Brantford, while walking by the Castle, was
struck by the electric fluid and instantly knocked to the
ground. Several persons immediately ran to his assistance,
and, finding him in a state of insensibility, conveyed him
to the surgery of Mr. Cooper, by whom he was promptly
attended. On examination it was found he had been de-
prived by the violence of the shock of the use of his limbs,
and had received other injuries, of a nature to render his
ultimate recovery extremely doubtful. Mr. Coburn, a
lighterman, of Brantford End, while attending a barge on
the cut near his residence, was likewise struck by the
lightning, and nearly deprived of sight. At Kew, about
the same time. a gentleman of the name of Finch was,
with his wife and three daughters, taking tea in an arbour
in the garden, when what is termed a thunderbolt found
its way through the roof above them, and falling at their
feet exploded with a loud noise, splitting into hundreds of
pieces, by which the whole party were thrown off their
seats, and Mr. Finch was for some minutes deprived of
sight: fortunately none of them were seriously hurt. At
Hammersmith a female, named Wilson, residing in the
neighbourhood, while walking near the Hampshire Hog
public-house, was also knocked to the ground by the elec-
tric fluid, but happily escaped with very slight injury.
About seven o'clock the clouds began breaking, and soon
afterwards the storm subsided. From that time until about
nine o'clock, there was every appearance of the night
proving fine, but about that hour the atmosphere assumed a
',lease and fiery aspect, and a quarter of an hour had not
eepsed before the atmosphere was illumined by flashes of
lightning of a most vivid nature, which extended from the
western to the eastern hemisphere, the heavens continually
opening and shutting, accompanied by distant and rolling
I.eals of thunder. In a few minutes the thunder ap-
proached nearer to the metropolis, passing from south-
south- west to north-north-east. In the neighbourhood of
Chelsea, Brompton, and Knightsbridge, its force was pecu-
liarly felt, eud the damage done by the lightning particu-
larly severe. Among the various accidents were the fol-
lowing :—Police.-eonstable Jones, 154 B, while on duty
near the Fox and Bull, public-house, adjoining the
Cann brewery, at Knightsbridge, was struck by
the electric fluid, and instantly felled to the
ground. When picked up he was found to be deprived
of sight, and totally deprived of the use of his limbs, in
which state he was conveyed on a shutter to St. George's
Hospital, where he remains in a most dangerous state.
Opposite Knightsbridge-green, a man named G. Bowler,
residtngat No. I G,New-road, Chelsea, while passing along,
was struck blind from the lightning, He was assisted to
the same hospital where he still remains. About the same
time a horse drawing a chaise-cart along the Fulham-road,
becoming alarmed by the lightning, and the pealing
thunder; started off at full speed, and in his progress
knocked down a lad named John Hart, residing at No. 1,
Lower College-street, Chelsea, ever whom the wheels of
the chaise passed. He was immediately picked up, and
carried on a shutter to St. George's Hospital, where, on
examination, it was found his skull was fractured, and one
of his legs broken. Scarcely any hopes are entertained of
his reeoverv. A man named Upjohn was likewise seriously
injured by the lightning*, and conveyed to the same hos-
pital. lo Brompton square several of the windows of the
houses weee broken, and a respectablefemale, while walking
witla her son along the high road, past Holy Trinity
Church, Brompton, was suddenly struck down. She was
picked up in an apparently lifeless state, and taken to the
house of Mr. Chaplin, plumber, &c., Brunswick-place,
where, having been attended by a surgeon, she was brought
round sufficiently to be enabled to be taken to her re- 1
sidence.
At the D'Oyley Arms Tavern, in the Marlborough-road
(Blacklands-lane), Chelsea, the effects of the storm have
been most severe. About half-past nine o'clock the elec-
tric fluid struck the centre of the roof, and, entering through
the tiles, passed through the bed-room of Mr. Middleton,
the proprietor, in which were his daughter, who was in bed,
and ttee female servant. It was then attracted by the
cranks oc the various bell-wires on the landing, down which
it passed into the spacious bar, on the ceiling of which it
has left ample proof of its power. It then entered the par-
lour on the north side of the building, in which two gen-
tlemen were sitting eniaying a friendly glass and pipe, who
instantly rushed from the room, and, at the same instant,
an eecleston took place, which appeared to shake the
building to its very foundation ; and, on the room being
afterwards entered, it was found filled with soot and rub-
bish, even to the glasses on the table, the electric fluid
having made its exit by the chimney.
During the remainder of the night the heavens, at times,
appeared one sheet of fire, but we have not heard of any
other accidents having occurred.
On Sunday evening, during the time the metropolis was
threatened with a violent thunder storm, the attention of
the company walking in Hyde Park and Kensington Gar-
dens was attracted by an extraordinary appearance in the
heavens. It was first seen about a quarter before six
o'clock, in the S. S. E., and had the appearance of a very
large inverted bell attached to a very dense cloud, and ex-
tending downwards about a third of the distance to the
earth. From the sides appeared a continual ascent of a
black vapour, which was distinctly visible to the naked eye.
In about 20 minutes from its being first discovered it gra-
dually drew itself' up into the cloud, of which it formed a
component part, but in about three or four minutes it again
descended in the form of a pillar, much lower than at first,
and again seemed to emit a kind of dense vapour, which at
times appeared like branches springing out of its sides.
After having been visible on the whole, full half an hour,
it again gradually disappeared in the dense clouds which
rose in the south.