Star.
London, England, 1826-07-07 00:00:00

THE WEATHER.

'

Cheltenham was visited on Tuesday night by one of
the most terrific thunder storms remembered for Many
years. The seeming warfare of the elements was indeed
awful ; the peals of thunder, which were long, loud,
and frequent, shook the houses to their very foundation ;
and the flashes of lightning were vivid and continual.
Saturday, one of the greatest storms of hail and rain, attended
with thunder and lightning, fell at Bridgnorth and neighbourhood,
ever remembered there, which continued more than an lawn%
Wednesday, the City of Coventry was visited by a
most tremendous thunder storm, accompanied with a
deluging shower of rain. It commenced about one
o'clock, and, for upwards of an hour, the vivid flashes
of the lightning, and the deafening peals of the thunder
were alarming beyond ,description. About a quarter
past two, the electric fluid descended against the house
of a Mr. Careless, in Much Park-street, and struck the
iron hinge of a window-shutter on the ground floor, on
the east side of the building ; it entered the premises,
dashing to .splinters the Window and window-frame;
and taking a per pendicular direction, forced its way
through the ceiling into the chamber above, where part
of the family were at rest; the window and frame here
shared a similar fate with those below ; several splin-
ters being C:rown on the bed of the terrified inmates.
The fluid proceeded across the chamber, forcing large
pieces of wood and brick from the wall, and entered,
the shop above, which contained several engine locms
filed with silk.. From the appearance of this place,
the electric matter had lost none of its power. In
several places btikks were torn from the wall with ire-
whams violence, and considerable damage clone to the'
1 rpm,. The destructive fluid afterwards made its egress
thrctigh a window on the we .t side of the house, tearing
out the window frame. A young man, son to Mr.
Careless, who slept in the shop, terrified by the violence
of tire storm, rose for the purpose of closing t'.e window
as the electric fluid entered. He was immediately
struck to the ground, but received no further personal
injury than being for a short time stunned. He de-
scribes the sensation he experienced as similar to that of
a person whose head was surrounded by a flame of fire.
No other member of the family was injured.
On the nth of June, which was a fair day, about
two o'clock, the most dreadful storm burst upon the
commune of La Mot, in France. The rain fell in
torrents, lightning furrowed the heavens, and thuoder
roared on every side. About thirty persons of the neigh-
bouring villages were returning quietly from the fair,
when, surprised by the storm, they were obliged to take
refuge under a neighbouring walnut t.ee. In a moment
after the lightning struck t'-:e very tree under which
they were sheltered. The greater part of them wet*
severely hurt, and one woman was killed on the spot,
and apprehension is entertained for the life of another.
Two mules also were killed, and what is rather singular,
the lightning cut the reins which were round the driver's
arm, without injuring him. It also carried off such of
their shoes as had nails in them. The woman killed was
found with her face to the ground, and appeared to
have been sufficated.

At this period there came to Tchornaia two Russian
officers, wish several serjeants, who were much more
like Cossacks than soldiers. Their appearance was
the signal of universal mourning—they came to recruit.
'They proclaimed, in the Emperor's name, that on a
certain day all the men in the district, whatever their age
might be, were to assemble in the public square, there
to be inspeCted. At the appointed day every one was
on the spot ; but it was easy to see by their looks that
it was with the utmost repugnance that they had obeyed.
All the women were placed on the other side, anxiously
waiting for the result of the inspection; and some of
they were crying bitterly. We were present at this
scene. The officers placed the men in two rows, and
passed along the rank, very slowly. Now and then they
touched a man, and be was immediately taken to a
little group that was formed in the centre of the square.
When they had run over the two rows, they again in-
spected the men that had been set apart, made them
walk and strip, verifsed them—in a word, such as our
recruiting councils did in our department for many
years. When a man was examined he was allowed to
g-, and then the crowd raised a shout of joy ; or bri
WAS immediately put in irons in the presence of his
family, who r ised cries of despair—this man was fit
for service. These unfortunate beings, thus chained up,
were kept out of view till the very moment of their
departure. No claims were valid against the recruiting
officer; age, marriage, the duties required to be paid to.
infirm parents, were all of no avail ; sometimes indeed
it happened, and that but rarely, that a secret arrange-
ment with the officer for a sum of money saved a young
man, a husband. or a father, from his caprice, for he was
bound by no rule ; it often happened also, that he
marked out for the army a young man whose wife or
mistress was coveted by a neighbouring Lord, or whom
injustice had irritated and rendered suspected:—
Memoirs of a French Ofjfeer.