Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1848-07-06
From the Waterbury american.
Melancholy death by Lightning.

From the WGfer6ny american.
Melancholy death by Lightning.
1t is our painful duty to record a most
signal instance of sudden death which
occurred at East Farms "a ne,ghborhood
about three miles from the village centre)
during the thunder storm on Friday eve.
ming last, few moments past q O'Clock.
AN event truly affective, and calculated
solemnly to impress the reflective mind.
with the terrible truth of that expressive
" in the midst of life VIC are in death - Mr..
Augustus Pierpont, well known among US
as an industrious and worthy farmer, has
been suddenly summoned from time 10 eter>
nifty in the twinkling of an eye-laken from
a little circle of four assembled at the same
domestic hearth Less than an hour pres
vious Mr.. p. accompanied by his wife. had
been in the village, calling upon his friends
and executing The little commissions usual
upon his visits 10 town. with as fair pros>
pecl of long life as we who pen this brief
notice-he called al this Office, and little
did we imagine as we saw him pass out of
the door that we had exchanged the last
look, and that the next day we should gaze
npna his inaRimste eorrSe-so little chan
ged 10 feature hoo, as to sragger even the
eVrAsuee of reality But 81 it was,
Qt,ssrrhsg the Threatening appearance of
tin. eit',nss Mr. PSerT,nms- accompanied by
Mrs. r. tt4H AgUu with 1lH PsssSaAIe sxpeaii>
tiiLrA ;fsnd mat nt1siifsef bome Rb02u the time
ttte rHfu GImInn,mRf FALLING and he @e@-
Jis,rSani iiR fffmiAg HFtsEsla assembled Ha EAa
It,iu,itsn ito TlwsRn iIS HrigimnB They were
all sse iesF NH P I'M ttitt itift fERmH site af
lire iinenfaGF line lniEfatt. Iiftgss-.gllt
t0f ms sxnIss. IA WulIIIg mIfsl, Ii deW fssT GA
his TtsiIt-eR wulnlg hat living i'm atR faml-
liy IN frmt nj tire fire litaGt,, amt Mr& a. Gn
the rr,..nt nut seMera ftteil tiia,!k Sa3m the
rrdnae nj ttt aitiFmusY TIhs faaaa bUaa
a,ane-.all wrre sannued,, hua rome were
tliIYuwn iD tire fnpr-ana Mr. r tkO9gh
ltajlt4t CnuNriiriEt, newer nr0reSs bas remained
ln the same lpprsih Fmsith@@ sS @ben last
otissetwed tg Ghase who hat recovered from
trhs s'hsrtk. THE APPEARANCE o. the roam a.
,tLese.itead Sg Mrs. p vas indeed fighl!uI
the floor was literally strewed with trag-
aaeaes aSS eb0ked with dnsl, and II was
sOsse sptaates before any one fully recover.
I'd f0m their sud den bewilderneDL 1t
was some l. myth NJ time before the son
came 10 consciousness. Mrs. p and the
other young man, were more fortunate.
From an examination Of the premises it is
indeed almost miracle that any of the
lille circle escaped-for the little space
by the four was not over six or
eight feet square.
The charge of electric fluid, which must
have been a most tremendous one, struck
the top Of the chimney, and descended in
two volumes cracking il apart at two cor
ners down to the garrett floor. and passing
down 10 the first aoor, escaped through the
cellar, spending its principal force on the
kitchen side, although the chambers bear
various traces of its fury. " hen it reach>
ed the chamber floor, it diverged in two dis
rections. knocking off the plastering near
the kitchen ceiling over the mantle piece,
and On the right hand side of the fire place
near the lower floor little in advance of
where Mrs. p. was sitting, tore off the plas>
tering of the partition near the mop board,
a nd escap ped by way of the cellar through a
window, shivering it 10 atoms as well as
beam in which il C lme In contact. On the
left hand side where Mr.. p. was sitting,
the charge burst throNs b the plastering a
few feet above his head and in direct line,
a clock ON the mantie-piece,
scattering the fragments 10 the further side
ef the room. The charge struck Mr.. p.
(who had on his hat) on the head, leaving
a hole in the hat about the size OF Is cent
piece, and passing down his person came
out at once of his boots, tearing the upper
leather on each side OF the foot. There
was no ma on his body excep: a small
one on his head under the place where the
fluid passed through his hat crown, His
son next to him does not appear TO have
been touched by the fluid, although the
floor was torn directly nnder his chair. In
front room next to the kitchen passage,
divided by a partition near where Mr.. p.
was sitting, the electric fluid also found it's
way, and demolished another clock stand
ing ON the mantle piece and looking glass
ALSO rending the fire board while the one
in the kitchen was untouched. We might
mention many other particulars, hat these
are sufficient TO give the reader general
idea OF the power and eccenlricity of that
terrible element which thus sets the specu-
la,ions of man at defiance. and perhaps
more than any other, exalts the Majesty of
the Great First Cause,
II only remains for us to say that the de-
ceased was a kind hearted husband and
father, a most excellent ncighbor, and
good citizen. His loss 10 The neighb. rhood
Of which he was an esteemed member, viii
cause a chnsm not easily supplied. His
remains were followed to the grave on suns
day morning by large concourse of sym>
pathizing mourners and friends. Rev. J.
L. Clark, of 81. JONAS officiating at the
grave, Of whose Church The deceased was
q member. Mr.. P. had just completed his
57th year,