The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-10 00:00:00

THUNDER STORM.

SIX PERSONS KILLED AND TWELVE SE-

VERE IX INJURED.

• uNDA MORNING.—On Friday even-
its:; lest Lins village and its neighbserlesski w ere visited
with one of the most terrific thunder storms, accom-
panied with a heavy fall of rain, ever before witnessed by
the oldest inhabitant. About five o'clock in the after-
noon the clouds began to lower, and in a few minutes
the rain came down in torrents, accompanied with loud
peals of thunder, which followed in rapid succession.
The flashes of lightning were so frequent and so vivid
that the whole village appeared enveloped in flames.
In less than an hour the little brook which flows through
the village rose and overflowed its banks, rushing into
many of the houses contiguous and destroying much va-
luable property in its course. About half a mile down
the brook is situate a very fine cotton mill belonging
to Mr. Cooper, known as the Wellington Mill. At
this point the river banks also gave way, and the
water rushing into the yard drowsed the fires and
stopped the works. Many of the hands were extri-
cated from the devouring element by the use of ropes
which were thrown to them, and which they
tied round their bodies, when the other hands from an
elevated position drew them through the water to the
land. As soon as the hands were all rescued from the
mill, they took refuge on some of the more elevated posi-
tions in the neighbourhood. A number of them went
round a considerable distance towards the village, keep-
ing on the higher grounds. On their way home they
had to cross the brook about half a mile above the mill.
The water was at that time running over' the bridge
nearly knee deep. On the left of the road stood a brick
wall of about 200 yards in length, behind which there
remained a large reservoir, once used for supplying water
to a factory then situated on its banks, but which has
been pulled down many years. About thirty of the mill
hands agreed to cross the bridge in a body, under the
protection of the wall. They had not pr needed more
than half the distance, when the banks of the reservoir
gave way, letting its contents, with great violence,
against the wall under which the unfortunate people
were walking. In another instant the wall was swept
down, burying upwards of twenty of the poor creatures
beneath its ruins, and carrying others down the stream,
which now became frightful to look at. All the houses
near the spot were instantly filled with water, many of
the inmates being comp: lied to take refuge in their upper
chambers. The alarm was given, and shortly a number
of persons came to the assistance of the unfortunate
children and young persons, who had been either
drowned, killed, or a ounded. As soon as the contents
of the reservoir had spread over the adjoining field, and,
in sonid measure, left the road passable, a number of
men ventured up to their middle in the water, and com-
menced removing the fallen materials, from beneath
which five persons were taken out dead, and sixteen
others severely injured, some of them having their legs
and arms broken or dislocated, whilst others were
severely bruised in various parts of the body. Many
others were swept clown the stream, and washed on the
banks in the adjoining fields without sustaining material
injury. There was one girl still missing, and, as it was
now dark, all the efforts of her friends to find her proved
fruitless until the next morning, when she was found
clinging round a tree, quite dead. Those whose injuries
were considered dangerous were taken to the Stockport
Infirmary, where they now remain, but are said to be
out of danger. There are five girls and one boy dead ;
all of whom were interred yesterday. On Saturday
night, an inquest was held on the bodies, before Charles
Hudson, Esq., coroner, and a respectable jury. In each
case, a verdict of Accidental Death was returned.
BRIGHTON, SEPT. 9.—The weather yesterday was ex-
ceedingly sultry, and towards the evening dark clouds
gathered in the horizon. About seven o'clock the storm
burst with fearful violence over the town, shaking the
houses to their foundation. It was during the evening
service, and we understand that numbers fainted away
with fright, and the scene altogether was most appalling.
The storm continued to rage with unabated violence for
upwards of two hours ; the lightning was awfully grand,
and the thunder kept up a continual din, and rain fell in
torrents, running like a river down North-street and the
other streets leading to the centre of the town. In the
midst of the storm the excursion train started at its usual
time ; but nearly half of the passengers who arrived by
it in the morning chose to incur the expense of staying a
night in Brighton and taking a fresh ticket in the morn-
ing, to braving the turbulence of the atmosphere.
retersfield and its neighbourhood were visited on
Thursday last by one of the most violent storms of
thunder, lightning, and hail, that has been witnessed in
that vicinity for some years ; it was remarked that in
one part of the storm, for the space of twenty
minutes, the thunder was incessant ; the rain
and hail poured down at intervals in torrents ;
and in the neighbourhood of Sheet and Liss,
the hail-stones measured from three to five

inches in circumference, and such was the quantity
which fell, that although the temperature was high and
the air sultry, whole cart loads were lying on the ground
even on the following morning. The roofs on the green
houses were literally smashed, scarcely a frame being
left unbroken. Some potutoes, which had been dug up
in the morning, but left on the ground, in a field near
Liss, were broken to pieces, and the fragments scattered
in all directions.—Humpshire Telegraph.
On Thursday last, this town and neighbourhood were
visited by a most tremendous thunder storm, which
lasted for nearly three hours without intermission, with
heavy showers of hail. At Totton, Redbridge, and
Mil'brook the hail came down in such torrents that it
broke a great number of skylights and windows ; in
some parts the roads were entirely inundated. We have
not heard of any damage done by the lightning, but we
fear there is a great deal done in many places. In the
evening it lightened so fast, that some of the oldest in-
habitants of the town cannot recollect seeing anything
like it before.—lbid.

On Thursday evening a heavy storm of rain, accom-
panied by lightning and awful thunder, passed over this
city, and very heavy rain fell in the course of the night.
We understand that at the Mynde Park, Much Dew-
church, hail-stones of such large dimensions fell, that
upwards of 300 panes of glass were shattered in the
hot-houses, &c. Considerable damage has also been
done in other parts of the county.—Hereford Times.
CANTERBURY, MONDAY.—Last night (Sunday) a
thunder storm, the violence of which has not been ex-
ceeded for many years, passed over the eastern part of
the county of Kent. So early as 7 o'clock in the even-
ing the murmuring of distant thunder was heard in the
direction of the coast by Ramsgate, and in the course of
another half-hour the flashes of the lightning became in-
creasingly frequent. From the highest portions of the
city of Canterbury the scene arising from this conflict of
the elements was awfully grand, the electric fluid now
dazzling the eye of the beholder with its murky glare,
and then with imposing brightness striking its vein of
forked fluid along the firmament in the most instant and
determined manner. Shortly after 9 o'clock the storm
was at its height, and then and for upwards of an hour
afterwards, the loud crashing of the thunder was truly
terrible. All along the border of the beautiful valley in
which Canterbury lies the winding of the Stour was dis-
tinctly seen, the lightning being so extraordinarily vivid
as to bring out even the minutest objects. The heaviest
peals of thunder appeared immediately over the locality
of the cathedral, and, from its great altitude, it was
feared that it might sustain some injury from the ex-
treme violence of the storm ; but upon visiting it this
morning we find no damage done to that noble structure,
except that which the wear of years has effected. Rain
began to fall in heavy drops soon after the btorm com-
nienced, and by nine o'clock it descended in torrents, the
streets of the " ancient city" being overflowed by
.a
complete deluge of water, from which many persons in
the lower parts of the city suffered much trouble and in-
convenience. It is rumoured in the neighbourhood that
considerable damage has been done to the standing-hop-
bines, and that many trees in the woods throught Kent
have suffered severely. Up to nine o'clock this morning
(Monday) the reporter has not heard of any uncommon
case, or of any loss of life, either human or animal. Se-
veral of the inhabitants declare the storm to have been
the most violent known in the vicinity for the last twenty
years. It was not quite over before midnight, and at
the above hour this morning the rain still falls heavily,
with every prospect of a continuance. At Brighton the
storm was equally severe. It lasted about two hours,
and the rain fell during the whole time with the utmost
violence.

FIRE AND NARROW ESCAPE.—Yesterday morning,
at a quarter to five o'clock, a policeman belonging to the
K division, in going his rounds in Charles-street, St.
George's-in-the-East, discovered the shop of a barber,
named Goff, on fire. lie instantly gave an alarm, but so
rapid was the spread of the flames that toff and his
lodgers, four in number, were obliged to make their
escape by the windows, and had narrowly escaped seri-
ous injury, if not destruction. Goff himself, in his
fright, leaped from the one-pair window, and in his fall
has badly dislocated his leg. The poor man was unin-
sured, and the loss of his little property will be of serious
consequence to him.
SUPPOSED SUICIDE.—The body of a respectably-
dressed man was discovered on Saturday afternoon in a
field belonging to Mr. F. Wills, at Sellywick, and an old
pocket pistol, which appeared to have been recently dis-
charged, was found lying near the body. The charge
I had entered the head of the deceased through his mouth.

The body appeared to be that of a person about 65 years
of age, five feet six inches high, bald-headed, hair and
whiskers sandy and gray, hands much freckled, and with
warts upon them, particularly on the knuckle of the
forefinger of the right hand. The deceased was dressed
in a black coat, waistcoat, and smallclothes, drab kersey-
mere gaiters with gilt buttons, blue worsted stockings,
low shoes, black silk neckerchief, and hat. A farthing
and some small shot were the only articles found in the
pockets, and there is no clue to his identity. The body
now lies at the Malt-shovel, Selly Oak, to await a Coro-
ner's inquest.—Birnzingham Gazette.
IST ARROW ESCAPE, BY THE SAGACITY OF A HORSE.
—On Saturday last a young child had a narrow escape
for its life, and was miraculously saved by the sagacity
of a horse. The child happened to be playing in the
street at the west end of Kirkaldy, when two carts were
passing under the charge of one man, he sitting in the
foremost cart, and holding the other horse by the halter,
a slave being between the two. The child having run
in before tho hinflmost horse, and the horse observing its
perilous condition, reiuse4 t,,,. go forwafd ; and though
repeatedly urged by its less observant drive f, rather than
do 1,a,7,pd rove the death of the child, which would
have been inevitable, he fell down on his knees, and lay
till a young woman, who oLsprved the perilous position
ni the child, rushed out of her masper'a house, and
snatcikail up the child before the lazy driver had left his
seat in the cart, ole au other person came to its rescue.
The child was carried to its motive: unhurt.—Edinburgh
GWItiE4I3:III :). LI
cljal:ril fiNA
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ILE ;ID::
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E 0 SUNDAY,r
ega h e rSEPT.ngsan ld Sp.:
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