Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-11-12
WASHINGTON, (H.) octsye, !,

A fatal misfortune happened in H..
IN thunderstorm, about Two hou-s II;
paper went to press on Saturday l,s, .9u'
SO melancholy scarcely ever occurred NJ ons
in this place. The stone house on rbr ,'O',
side OF Main street, opposite the eour, I ha "e's
late III the occupation Of DR.. Johnston snI
now of Mr.. John Fristoe, was stu,c: ana
lightning. II appears frora several e;rc ""a
stances, that the lightning descended no.a
one entire tract, but divided into three na,," '
one of which struck the top of small r hr;s
pillar on the south east corner of the ho"..
another the chimney nrxt the pillar. sni
the third the top of the sign post which d
scending, killed horse, belonging ~ NJ.
Dcugher,y. The lightning mich, No,
however, have descended in three n,r NV
if it came in horizontal direction, i, mich,
have been undivided unril i. struck H. d."
of the chimney ; from which it might have
ran in the same direction to the brick n;ar
and the sign post; descending a little 10 the
latter.
That part, we suppose, which struck n.
brick pillar, (Which was probably The be.,
conductor 81 any thing contiguous descend.
ed TO the second story and mad rs ann-,r.
ance iii the window mex, The corner. Mis-
lane Rawls, aged about nineteen Years .
grand daughter Of Mr.. Fristor, who had
gone up stairs when The gust frs, came W,
and was in the act of shutting down The
window, was Instantly killed! The lirht.
ming seems TO have struck her head first i
brese her comb to pieces and left the teeth
sticking in her hair 1t ran to The very ex.
tremitles of her system, and making small
hole aboutas large as If made By small
bird shot, through each of her s!ippera, a.
boar half an inch from the toe, Frustrated
the floor; and descending to ;he bar room
on the lower floor, killed Mr., Benjamin
Wood, about Is or 10 years Of agv, SON. Of
Benjamin Wood, OF this county. We in.
fer that the lightning glanced towards
Franklin stove which STOOD in the chimney,
from the top OF the window where it enter.
ed the room, from the circumstance of Mr..
Woods sitting directly between the wall
and the stove, and not touching either Is
made two small! holes in the top ofhis hat,
and tore out part Of the crown, leaving few
other traces Of external viol1nce. Another
branch came down in the next window, at
the same instant, and struck down Dir.
David A. Dousherty, and Mr. John Pep.
per, who were sitting II the window
Bleeding was attempted win them all, bus
succeeded only with Mr.. Doughorty who
after having lain dead, to every human ap'
pearance, nearly an hour, was restored 10
life. It is matter Of surprize that h. was
not precip!tsted into that world,
6 Fran 1chose 69ur,le no traveLer returns,
1t seems, however, that but one side Oh his
body was affected as the tightening pas
sed, first from the facing of tne window to
the crown OF bis hat through which it made
several small holes, and ran down his lett
SIDE, with the effects Of a flame OF ire
His clothes were considerably rent as was
also the lining of his bat. He was yer,
much hurt; but is now on the recovery aHo
out of danger. Mr.. Pepper vas bat very
slightly injured, and entirely recovered N
a few minutes.
The confusion and distress Of this me-
lsncho!y scene can be more easily conce'v'
ed than described. A young fair one III
the bloom of youth, thoughtIess OF danger
in an instant snade lilelcss corpse De-
low, lay in the arms of death, young
L II b. n
drlcst regard, which was reciproera'eH'-'
The same fa;a, shaft, which swept her from
this transitory scene, laid him IlleIsss ~
the room below As if Divine ProVf'
dence had determined that nc should no'
STAY behind her, he called them at the same :
instant. to wing their way to the worid Oh
spirits =,
Let those who have seen misfortune N
the deepest distress, imagine the feelings