The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-04 00:00:00

THUNDER STORM.

(From the Manchester Courier.)

On Tuesday evening last, this town was visited by a thun-
der storm. Some of the peals were very loud, and the lightn-
ing was very vivid; but we have heard of any damage done.
The following accounts describe its effects in some of the
neighbouring towns :
BOLTON.—On Tuesday afternoon last, this town and neigh-
bourhood were visited by several very heavy showers, accom-
panied by thunder. The electric fluid struck a cottage cbirn-
ney at Sweet Green, and dislodged a number of bricks. Mr.
Richard Orrell, an old gentleman, residing at Quariton,
whilst passing over a field on his way home, was killed by
the lightning. His hat was shivered to pieces, and his body
much disfigured.
MIDDLETON.—On Tuesday evening, from half-past seven
till nearly ten o'clock, a most fearful storm of thunder and
lightning raged over the tract of country of which Middle-
ton is about the centre. The flashes of the electric fluid
were extremely vivid, and succeeded each other with great
rapidity. Many persons were thrown into a state of the
utmost alarm. One of the dwellings where the most mate-
rial damage was done, was the house of Mr. James Smethurst,
farmer, near Alkrington Hall. The electric fluid entered
the back door, passed through a wall, and killed a large dog
on tbe spot. Mr. Smethurst had a not in his band. His wife
was also in the same room, and though both were within a yard
of the dog, they escaped injury. An excellent clock, which
stood, at thel top of the stairs, was completely broken to
pieces—several windows were broken—the chimney was
knocked down, and other damage done to the building. The
electric fluid also entered the house of a Miss Wolstenholine,
near Chapel-street, where it-struck a piece off the back of a
clock, and tore off the lock of the clock door, without driing
any other damage; several persons were in the same room,
and were not injured. The buildings were so shaken that
a quantity of bricks fell down many chimneys. There was a
sharp shower of rain, but it did not last long.
Buhr.--On Tuesday last, a thunder storm, accompanied
by heavy showers of rain, passed over Bury and its vicinity,
but happily without doing any considerable damage. About
three o'clock in the afternoon, a vivid flash of lightning was
followed by a tremendoui peal of thunder, and the electric
fluid struck the chimney on the top 91 Brunswick Chapel,
North-street, and threw -downjthe blue slate cone, and part
of the coping stones with which it was surmounted, without
doing any further injury.

• (From the Leeds Intelligencer.)
On Tuesday last, the town and neighbdurhood of Leeds,
and we believe we may say the whole of the West-Riding,
was visited by one of the most terrific thunder storms ever
remembered. The temperature throughout the day was re-
markably sultry and close, the firinanent being cloudy and
dull, and paels of thunder were occasionally heard during the
day. About three o'clock, the clouds lowered, and for some
time a violent storm of rain was threatened. The clouds,
however, blew over for a time, the sun resumed its wonted
sway, and the sultriness of the atmosphere was greatly aug-
mented; nor was it to any extent abated by a very smart
shower which fell between five and six o'clock. Just as night
set in, between eight and nine o'clock, the storm burst forth
in its full strength. The rain descended in torrents, and the
lightning flashed most vividly, insomuch that at times the
town seemed to be momentarily enveloped in one vast sheet
of flame. The repetition of the electric sparks was almost
incessant; in many instances two or three flashes of lightning
occurred between the claps of thunder, though from the prox-
imity of the electric clouds to the places over which they
passed, the peals of thunder followed almost instantaneously.
For nearly hours did the storm continue, and such was the
heavy fall of rain that in many cases the common sewers of
the town were choked up. The lightning was not only vivid
and brilliant, as we have said, but it was frequent. The co-
lour of the fiery element was in some instances of a beautiful
description; at other times it appeared to be of a very forked
and sulphureous character; and as the effect was greatly
heightened by the excessive darkness of the night, its appear-
ance was calculated to strike terror into the hearts of the
strongest minded spectators. Strange to say, however, the
damage done by the storm is comparatively trifling, particu-
larly with regard to human life. In the town of Leeds we
have not heard of any injury of moment; but we understand
that a fish-monger of the name of Phillips, better known by
the cognomen of " Prime Minister," was struck by the elec-
tric fluid as he was passing with his cart through Stanningly
Bar, on his way to Leeds. He was rendered speechless for
two hours, and taken to an adjoining house, where every
attention was paid him. On the following morning he was
so far recovered as to be enabled to drive home in his cart,
and he is now better. The horse that was drawing the
mail gig from Otley to this town, was also struck by the
lightning, and was for some time unable to proceed on its
journey, but in a short time it recovered from the shock, and
it reached Leeds some time after the mail was due. Two
sheep belonging to the Earl of Harewood were struck dead
by the electric fluid in the park adjoining his Lordship's
Mansion; and such was the terror experienced by horses that
we have heard of-several having been severely injured by
running against stone walls, or precipitating themselves over
hedges and into ditches in their fright, so much so that it has
been necessary to put some of them to death. The Hull and
Manchester mail was overturned near Tadcaster, on its way
from York, by the swerving of the horses in consequence of
the fright, and the coachman was so much stunned by the
fall that he was unable to drive forward to Leeds; but on
reaching this town, he had so far recovered as to be able to
resume the control of the reins to Halifax, where his labours
terminated. Within a hundred yards of where this accident
happened to the mail, and almost at the same moment of time,
a stage coach on its way to York, was overturned from the
same cause; but so far as we have learnt, none of the pas-
sengers in either case sustained any very serious injury. One
very striking instance of imminent danger and providential
escape occurred to two individuals in the neighbourhood of
Saxton, near. Tadcaster. The parties in question were Mr.
Thomas Johnson Fox, the steward of Rd. Oliver Gascoigne,
Esq., of Parlington, and Mr: Dixon, of Towton. They
were on their way to York on horseback, for the purpbse of
attending the Agricultural Meeting there. Being overtaken
in Saxton Lane by the storm, they had taken shelter under
a tree; and while they were in that situation, the horses of
both were struck by the lightning and killed, the riders them-
selves sustaining no personal injury whatever! The storm
appears to have prevailed with equal violence at Bradford,
Barnsley, York, Malton. Scarborough, and all the district
around on either hand. At Bishopthorpe, the lightning
struck the house of Mr. Horner, bricklayer, of that place,
and penetrated through the roof and ceilings; breaking the
windows, and doing other damage. A child that was in one
of the rooms had its hair singed, but fortunately no serious
consequences were the result of the accident. At Bradford,
the rain fell in torrents for a short time, and upon the
declivities carried before it all tire dirt that had accumulated.
The consequence was that the grates of the sewers. were
soon choked up, and the water found its way into the cel-
lars and warehouses in the low part of the town. In Mr.
Hepper's, Broadstones;' the water was three feet deep,
and of course did considerable damage ; but fortunately
the men were at work when the water began to rise, and
they were able to remove much valuable property out of
the reach of the destructive element. Had they left, as in
the ordinary state of business they would have done, the
damage sustained would not have been less than £2,000. The
only serious accident from the lightning in that vicinity, which
has come to our knowledge was the loss of three cows kilted
at Wrose Hill, the property of Mr. R. Farrar. The poor
beasts were grazing close together in a field when they were
struck, they fell dead instantly within a space of five or six
yards. No signs of a blow, nor any scorching was visible,
but the animals were puffed out as though they had died from
repletion. A family standing at the door of their residence,
ou the Leeds hoar], were all forced backward, and thrown
down by the lightning, but mine of them suffered any mate-
rial injury. The rain extended a great distance. The water
was more than a toot deep on the North Bridge at Halifax.
In the lower part of the town, several cottages were inunda-
ted with water, so much so that the inmates were obliged to
leave for safety—we were glad however, to say that no serious
damage occurred. The crops of corn in the immediate neigh-
bourhood were laid next day, but the subsequent fine weather
has done much to recover them. At Barnsley, the electric
fluid entered the house of Mr. John Dyson, opposite St.
Mary's Church, through a window, which it shivered to atoms,
and after passing through several rooms, destroying furni-
ture, glasses, and burning the paper on the walls, it passed
out at the cellar window, the grate of which was turn up.
None of the family were injured. The adjoining house of
Mrs. Tyas was similarly visited, and like damage was done
about the same time,.the hostler at the King's Head Inn, was
struck by lightning, whilst starting a gentleman in a horse
and gig from the door of the Inn. Mr. Smith, the landlord,
was also deprived of his sight for a short time, but both have
since recovered from the shock. At Huddersfield the rain
fell in torrents as if a water spout had burst over the town,
and the lightning flashed most terrifically, not in gleams but
in sheets along the streets, rendering the gas lights for the
time invisible. 'The light from the electric fluid tinged the
pavement and carriage, vay with a sulphurous colour, while
the thunder, which followed in rapid succession, was tre-
mendously awful. It chiatinued raining violently the whole
night. We have not as yet heard of any damage of a serious
nature has been sustained, but from the uncommon severity
of the visitation, and the period of its occurrence, it is fear-
fully anticipated that much damage has been sustained to-
wards the south or south-east of Huddersfield. A fine stag
that was grazing in Wentworth Castle Park, the property of
Frederick Vernon Wentworth, Esq., was struck on the chest
by the electric fluid, and killed on the spot.

The Nottingham Journal states, that Nottingham and its
neighbourhood were visited on Tuesday night last, with awful
and repeated storms* of lightning and thunder.

A heavy fall of rain took place in Lincoln on Tuesday
evening last, accompanied by a thunder storm. The night
was extremely dark, and the lightning, as it darted from the
dense clouds, which overbucg the city, produced an awfully
grand effect.—Hull Times.

On Tuesday evening last, a violent storm swept the whole
district. In Hull and the neighbourhood, the fall of rain
was heavy, the lightning was extremely vivid, and the peals
of thunder were of unusually long duration. The weather
has since been fine, but not at all remarkably so.—lbid.

GRIMSCY.—On the evening of the 28th ult. this town and
neighbourhood were visited by severe lightning and thunder,
which continued, almqst without intermission, the greater
part of the night ; at ititervats large flashes momentarily il-
luminated the town likelan immense jet of gas. The Master
of the Mayflower, who arrived from Scarbro' on Wednesday
morning, states the lightning at sea to have been the most
dreadful he ever eiperienced—two fire-balls, each apparently
about one foot in diameter, fell within a yaril of the vessel,
though, fortunately, without doing any damage.—lbid.
STORNI.—On Tuesday evening last, a considerable quan-
tity of rain fell here, accompanied by very vivid and con-
tinued flashes of lightning and some claps of thunder. We
find that the storm was much more severe in some other
parts of the county.. At Rochdale the rain fell in torrents,
and the lightning was more vivid than has been recollected
for a long time. At Crawshaw Booth the electric fluid struck
a house, and three men were lamed. At the same place the
cupola of a factory was also struck, and thrown down, but
life.
Preston Pilot.d,however,ver, to say that there has been no loss of

The thunder storm of Thursday, which was so terrific in
London, was severely felt in this neighbourhood. The
electric fluid fell in the grounds of Barton-house, the resi-
dence of Mrs. Hougham, and caused a great sensation among
the intnates of the house. One of the servants was, we hear,
struck to the earth by the shock, and others were much
stunned. The pond in the garden was considerably agitated,
and the water bubbled as if in a cauldron. The effects of
the shock were experienced at a great distance.—Kentish
Gazette.

WESLF.YAN ASSOCIATION.—TabuIar view of the Associa-
tion in 1838. Travelling preachers, 64; local preachers, 93.3:
on trial, 179; leaders, 1254; chapels, 224; 'minor preaching
placing, 419; Sunday schools, 273; scholars, 37,630; teachers
5438; members in society. 26,521 ; on trial, 1330; being an
increase over the year 18.37 of 5246. The number of mein-
hers of society in Jamaica, is upwards of 4000.

EXTRAORDINARY CHACE ON THE DERWENT.—A number
of the inhabitants of Matlock were on Tuesday last thrown
into a huge fit of perplexity, not to say terror, by the appear-
ance of an apparently formidable looking, although nonde-
script, sort of animal progressing down the river. It appear-
ed, as it rolled, and heaved, and plunged about in the shal-
lows, to possess horns and legs, but, owing to its peculiar
illation, no one could clearly distinguish whether it had head,
fins, or tails. A couple of daring spirits trt length put off in
an Oxford wherry, resolved to attack the creature, and vari-
ous were the conjectures on shore as to whether it would turn
out to be a horned porpoise, a misshapen alligator, or a dis-
guised grampus, who had missed his way in returning from a
marine masquerade. After a severe chase the gallant crew of
the wherry cautiously approached the monster, and the very
first harpoon (or hay-fork, we are not clear which) that took
effect, proved the enemy to be neither more nor less than a
weeelbarrow.--Der byshire Courier.