Thunder Storm At Quebec.
The Times, 1824-08-07T00:00:00

Extract of a letter frorr an officer at Quebec, to his ?riend in Not. tiughani, dated June 13. 1824 - " On the 9th we had a violent storm of thunder and lightning, and I was driven for shelter into a door-way of the market.place. After remaining somc time, a dreadful explosion forced me back into a shop, and nearly threw me down; a horse was struck dead on the pavement close to wlhere I stood, antiI I distinctly satw the ligotning strike the foLir conductors of the Catholic Seminarv. I ran imme. tliatelv to the .Jesuits' barracks, close by, as from the movemnent amnonest the soldiers at the gate, I thorehit all was not right. My fears were too well founded. The lightning had struck the barracks i; four diffterent places, broken tee windows, torn np the floors, knocked down one of thie large chimueys, and done other injury to the building; two of our men and a child were killed, and mans thrown dow-n. Of those who were killed, one was a bugler of tlie company I command: he was in the act of lighting his pipe at one ot' the barrack-reom fires, wher the electric matter descenung dov.wn the chimney, struck him dead on the spot, and renderedl five of lis compatlions insensible. The other sufferer had hischild in his arms, and the lightning entering one of the windows, killed them al,.o instantaneously. The heart.rending cries of this man's affectionate wife were distressirng beyond description, and no force could re- srain her from entering the room where the strgeons were making vain efforts to restore the vital spark, by opening the ju- gular vein in her hutsband and child. Haiinz hastily *iewed thesNe parts of the Jesuit-' Barracks which had sufFered from the clectric matter, I hastened home to my quarters in the officers' barracks, which vou know are in St. Louis-street, and some distance from the Jesuits', for the purpose of changing my wet clothes. The next rooms to mine were occupied bv mv frientd and constant conmpanitn, Ensien Cogan, who joined us only last fall, and from his excellent temper, and being a well-eslucated young man, of good Scotch family, had becorne a verv great favourite, not only in the corps, but also in the first families in Quebec. by whom he was particularly noticed last winter. After cha.nging my wet clothes, and the storm condnuing with great violence, I sought for society in the company of rmy neigh- bour Cogan; but picture to yourself, if possible, my horror and asto- nishment, when, on entering his room, 1 beheld mly poor friend ex- tended lifeless on the floor in a most appalliag attitude&a livid, blackened corpse ! He had entered anly a few minutes before, and taken off his wet coat and waistcoat: and being a great admirer of lightning (which we had frequentlv heard him assert), was standing at the Window in his shirt, viewing, no doubt, with ad- miration, the awful and sublime scene without, wben the elec- tric matter, being attracted by the upper bolt of the window, passed from thence into the right breast, and descended through the right leg into the floor, from whenee it foand a ready con- ductor in the store-pipe of the room beneath. 2'here was a Eireadful smell of sulphur and other burnt nmatter in the room, the windows being dosed, and my poor friend presented one of the most horrid spectacles you can possibly imagine; his hair and eyebrows were burnt, the right breast mutch spotted and disfigu red, the face (which a few minutes before I had seen lighted up with the smiles of good nature) was now livid and bloated, and presented a strange contrast to the colour of his hands. which resembled white vwax. On examining the body, it appeared that the electric matter had disco- loared the right leg, and burnt the shoe. Tihe attitude, as ! before said, had something in it peculiarly appalling; he had fallen back_ wards, and with his feet close to the window, his face upwards, and his arms extended: t.e whole scene was at once presented to my view as r entered the room, amidst the mrst viclent contentions of thle elements without, and the briUiant and constant flasbes of light. ning which gleamed over his face. Never, while I live, shall I for- get the horror of that moment! We read of such things in novels and elsewhere, antl shudder at the bare idea; but here it wvas pre- sented to me in dreadful realitv, with everv accumulation of bor- ror. I quitted the house, with a determination never to re-enter my rooms, and for a few days have been living with Colonel R -. EtHowever, to close myn sad eventfuil story, it became ltecessmay to comnrnit tle boriles of tbese poor sufferen to th6iteast homes with as little delay as possible, as corruption imtmeiiatelv commences itsdestructive operations in cases of this nature; in 18 bturt after ther were borne to thegrave. I w&as one of poor Cogan's pall-bearets. The funeral was conducted with great Celre y, all thle garrison attending; and at tbe church door we u'ere met by the bodies of the poor men and child killed in theJesuih' Barfacks. The first part of thc funeral service beinpg performed in the church. they there joined, and fortmed a part df our processiort ?0 the burial ground (nearly a rnile disttant, in the suburb of St Roche.) A sad and melancholy sight it was, to behold the coffins bi four poor crea- utres, who only a t'ew honrs preerics had been in full heealh end vigour. Nota dryceye was to beseen; thte Catholiepopulation cross. ed themselves with fear as.d trekmbling as we ILaZ tbhreough tIe -erowded Streets,- adl the very.mursicias par.tpoo 0ofthbe mournfiul depression with which all appeared to be a%tted. Wire Ts,e this niorning liad aniafr'ecting and eloquent discourse on thle event, floni our Rev. Chaplaifl. Dr. Aiil7a,.wfio was with.zour di-vision in the Peninsula; indeed, at one 'times tle feelings gf thie wortfn Divine were so overcome. that be was uirale to promeed. Po3r Cogan and myself bad.ditmcml with him the day previos to tiN asaf occur- rence." TI! UNVDER STORMf AT QUEBEC.