The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-03

ing the house untouched until il came TO the iron
bolt which held il to the plate of the second story,
ar middle plate between the ewes Of the house and
basement There il entered the plate and weather
boarding, shivering them TO pieces-entered the
nursery room at the edge of the chimney, soorehed
the floor on top, and bursted it up from below
through hole, which splintered in few inches
from Nene's chair-evidently was attracted to the
little iron cot-passed off at the southwest foot of
il again into the plate above the floor the south
side of the house-followcd the plate straight
the portco the whole length of the south side Of
the house, and thence, at the southeast corner,
bounded off, descending TO the corner where the
colonade Joins the kitchen, melting the heads Of
nails and scorching and rending as it went. Jim
was badly shocked, scorched and blisered in the
left foot--not sign of other effect in the room
where he was. Meme was shocked slightly and SO
was Annie-not thing broken in the house ex-
cept one vessel and my spt-box in the office room
of the basement-the very varnlsh unnjured of
your dressing table, where Annie was, and the feet
of which touched the very track of the lightning.
thanked God I! my household, if not my house,
was safe. The thing was TO look after the brick
work and house frame, to see if it was in danger of
topping.
Night was coming FAST and sent for carpenters
Immediately. With the aid Of Mr.. Oliver and
Johnny's Jim was assured of safety for the time,
but cloud was still in the west, and the two large
chambers and the two parlor rooms were wrecks.
moved the children down into my office, and had
my bed put into the breakfast room. | feared fire
would burst out somewhere in the house during
the night, and was walking sentry for hours the
two torn sides of the house, when the servant called
me to see the last of my affectionate dog Boxer.
As the children were lying down on their lodges IN
the Office, they smet something burnt. They
searched for the fre-moved the sofa--the three
divided sofa in the southwest corner and there my
poor dog lay stiff dead and scorched from under
his left eye broad as your two fingers, between his
foreegs, down his left side to his tail, and swollen
very large. God had stricken my dog and spared
nv children! We traced the fluid past where he
Law, along the washboard, behind one case of
shelves for nv books on the south side, and there
lost it; but where could you imagine we found it to
have escaped Full seventy-fve feet through the
dining room-the colorado, which Charlotte de-
scribed as one sheet of fre-Out at the brick step
from the cook-kitchen door to the well-knocking
away half of brick and escaping through an aper-
ture like bullet hole. Old Charlotte was shocked
in her hands and arms; Annie complained of her
head; Meme of her breast Jim was not himself un-
til the next morning; Richard kept telling me that
it went between his legs. He, like he always is,
was right. Behold! when we come to undress him
for bed, his pantaloons were badly scorched all in
front, and broad as your three fingers below the
left knee Annie and he behaved exceedingly well,
like grown people of good sense and nerve. He
gave me the most intelligent account of every thing
taking me by the hand and making me heed him
not hurredly nor fustered, but solemn and digni-
fed as wisdom and forttude would make one older
in years. Meme was and is still, like poor little
bird which has flown against the window in the
storm. Annie was woman, and behaved like
one; did more than could have been expected of her
until came, and finding then bosom to throw
their burden of trouble upon she gave way to tears
and trembling. Poor things-they are happy now.
We found the house not SO badly injured as was
supposed.