The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-18 00:00:00

AWFUL THUNDER STORM.

Yesterday afternoon, from four to five o'clock, the me-
tropolis was visited by a storm of thunder and rain ex-
ceeding any thing remembered by " the oldest joins.
bitants." The rain fell literally in torrents, and .soon
flooded many streets and houses. The storm was parti-
cularly term ific, apparently immediately over the House of
Commons. The rain fell in suer quantities as to darken
the House, like the approach of night ; and the bursts of
thunder, comparable only to tremendous and simultaneous
volleys of ar Met'', seemed to be fired in at the windows,
.inpl on the roof of the House, whilst the flashes of light-
ning were appallingly grand, extensive, and continuous,
The proceedings of the House were Neveral times for the
moment suspended in con,quenee. If selections e.,trld be
made as to the more terrific, where all were most stun-
ningly severe, it might be meetioned :her there ry, re in
particular two peals of thunder, accompanied by fl :slice (it
cannot be said that they pre,:rdtd :oat filed the air ap-
parently with 11:me, the ihunder seeming like some
tremendously extensive explosion right under the windows
of the House. Noises were at the same time beard hinder,
hut similar in sound, to the firing cf large rockets. In
the immediate neighbourhood of the House electric fluid
secured to fill ri peatedly, and it is already known did much
mischief, created great alarm, and proked it. dreadful
power. A pinnacle of the western tower of Westminster
Abbey was struck, and sent to the earth, dashed in pieces.
It was seen to fall, and many persons imtnedivi.ly ran ra
gather the fragments; amongst those who struggled was
a ;Member of Parliament, who, however, strange to say,
although a Tory, scrambled in v.tin, fur nut a parpicle
could be obtained. On the other side of Dan's-yard, in
direct line with the Abbvy from north to south—namely-,
in Barton-street--the roof of the first house in the street
was struck and broken in, raising so much dust, from the
falling of the roof, that the neighbours thought the house
was on fire. The hole in the roof is nine or ten feet in
circumference. The bolt or fluid did not pass through
the floor, but appeared to have glanced down the slope of
the roof, and the side of the house, to the irons at each
end of the shop windows. The effect there is curious.
The wood-work on one side is scathed, as if of bad
been made to force open the `butters as ith red-hot crow-
bars; and on the other side of the shop-window the like
result appears, with the addition of having torn away a
good deal of plaster and brick-work. The electric fluid,
or flame, thence seems to h lve passed down the area of the
next house, and in such volume as tip make its inhabitant
(a Mrs. Griffiths) run out, exclaiming that the kitchen
must he on fire, as it was tilled with flame. The house is
Mr. Shotter's, 1Z), Barton•street ; and the lower part of,
it is a spacious cake-shop, oh efly patronised by the West-
minster scholars. The rooms up stairs, particularly where,
:he roof had been beaten in, were filled with a strong sul-
phuric smell. Some out-houses, near the Hiniser:f Lords,
we understand, were also struck with the lightning. In
the adjoining counties of Kent and Surrey the. storm was
equal
dstnne
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natan
re taking
Inge underneath it.

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It could Teem, from a recent tranuctlon, aria
lobbing in etaq& net veintilt4{ to the Opah.tlett.A.

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