The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-04 00:00:00

FURTHER PARTICULARS OF TIIII STORM.

About seven o'clock yesterday morning, a fire broke
out in the steeple of old Streatham church, situated at
the corner of Tooting Common-lane, on the High Croy-
don-road. From inquiries made on the spot it appears
that the alarm was raised by one of the police, who
states that shortly alter the storm commenced he dis-
tinctly saw the lightning strike the steeple, and for an
instant the whole of the steeple and tower presented a
most extraordinary appearance. Soon alter this he p,:r-
ceived that the steeple was on fire, and before he had
time to give the alarm the fl4ines illuminated the coun-
try around. At this period the storm was at its height.
Messengers were despatched to London for the as-
sistance of the fire-engines, but the intelligence did not
roach the ears of the brigade till hall-past eight o'clock.
The engines belonging to the Waterloo road and Sow h-
wark-bridge•road stations were instantly despatched to
the spot, but by the time they reached the fire the steeple
was wholly destroyed, and the fl Imes were descending
into the belfry of the tower, and also into the body of
the church. The firemen, obtaining a good supply of
water, got the engines into immediate operation and
conveyed the hose on to the roof, and after very great
exertion succeeded in saving the tower and the rest of
the sacred edifice. The fire was wholly subdued by
nine o'clock, and all danger was at an end. The de•
struction of the steeple is stated to cause a loss of .5001.
The church is insured in the Union Fire-office to the
amount of 3,0001.

The storm did considerable damage in the eastern
part of the town. A great portion of the clock tower
of Spitalfields Church has received so much injury from
being struck by the lightning that it is stated it will
have to be pulled down and rebuilt. The bells could
not be set in motion yesterday owing to the damage
they have sustained, beside which a portion of
the roof of the belfry has been greatly injured.
Crowds were collected around the church during the
day, aad numbers of persons who intended visiting
church for Divine service, on hearing what had hap-
pened, returned home, being afraid to enter. Although
the church was open as usual, the congregation did not
exceed more than fifty persons. The roof of the house
of Mr. Jacquard, scalemaker, at the corner of Wood-
street, near the church, also received damage.
The storm appears to have been pretty general. A
Brighton correspondent, under yesterday's date, says,
" Between seven and eight o'clock this morning we
were visited with a violent storm of lightning, hail, and
rain, and this afternoon we had a snow-storm of short
duration."

A Windsor correspondent also says a violent thunder-
storm passed over Windsor at a quarter before seven
o'clock, accompanied by a heavy fall of hail and snow.
Diving the height of the thunder-storm yester-
day morning, a very respectably-dressed man, named
Jones, was struck down by the lightning, in Fleet-
street, but happily received no injury. Shortly
after seven o'clock a poor woman, named Andrews,
while crossing the fields at the back of Kensington-com-
mon, was struck by the electric fluid, by which her
bonnet and cloak were much burnt, but she providen•
tially escaped without any injury. Ab...ut the same
time a fine youth, aged 12 years, named Rawlinson, was
knocked down by the lightning near the Surrey The-
atre ; his hair and jacket were much scorched, but he
fortunately received no other injury.