Stamford Mercury
The TEMPEST MONDAY NIGHT.
After a sultry day on Monday last, the neighbourhood of Stamford was at night visited by one of the most severe tempests of thunder and lightning ever experienced in this climate. It commenced between 8 and 9 o'clock, and was not over till nearly 11; during all which time the lightning was extremely vivid, and the thunder sometimes very awful. We regret to state that we have heard of much mischief occasioned by the storm. At North Luffenham, seven miles West of this place, a flash of lightning at a few minutes before 10 o'clock, by its intensity and continuance spread terror and dismay through the village beyond what the oldest person had ever experienced. The flash was accompanied by a whizzing noise and strong sulphureous smell, and the thunder ensued so instantaneously, that the inhabitants were not aware what mischief it was occasioning, though all persons in the neighbourhood of the church supposed their own houses to be falling. In the morning, it was discovered, however, that the spire of the church had been much injured, upwards of ten feet having been struck off from the top of it, and some of the stones carried to the wonderful distance of 170 yards. The iron spindle of the weather-cock had acted as a conductor to the lightning; and the electric fluid, after demolishing the top of the spire, had passed to one of the windows lower down, and forced out a large part of the wall of steeple on the north-east side. From this point the lightning descended into the church, which it filled, and where iv shattering effects are visible in nearly all the lower windows in the body of it. The solid walls have been in several situations pierced through by the subtile fluid, whose course is wonderfully traced. Under one of the arches of the south aisle it seems to have meandered without doing mischief, there is a burnt zigzag mark on the stones, —an irregular dotted line of smoke, —presenting one of the most singular evidences of the harmless presence of electric phenomena ever beheld. The marks, we understand, will be allowed to remain as a memorial of the visitation.— Several of the pews on the south side of the church are shivered to pieces, and the walls' are much damaged. In the chancel and body of the church, which has been handsomely new pewed within a few years, little damage is done. At a distance, the venerable edifice, from its elevated station, shorn of its top and picturesque fane which towered above the trees, looks dismally. The vane was picked up on Tuesday morning in a paddock 60 yards distant from the steeple, in west direction ; and the same ground was Covered with the stones, as if they had been discharged from artillery: had they been driven eastwardly, they must have greatly damaged the houses'of Lady Anne Noel and the Rev. Mr. Hardyman, which are within 30 yards of the church, and have not been injured even tbe least degree. The parish clock was stopped by the concussion, and the strong iron spindle of the weather-cock was bent and precipitated amongst the beluw—lt is remarkable that this visitation North Luffenham has happened exactly on that day twelvemonth (the 10th of June) which saw the similar dilapidation of Carlby church and steeple, five miles east of Stamford. The effects of the storm were severely felt on the premises of Capt. Orme, Edithweston. A large new building standing within 20 yards of his own house was rent from top to bottom, the electric matter cutting through the free stone sills of all the windows, and removing stones of great size to a considerable distance. Capt. Orme, who was standing at the door of neighbour opposite, was struck across the head at the same moment with great violence, and remains to this hour sensible of the shock. The building now presents a most frightful appearance. The lightning passed through the strong arch of a cellar under it, and exploded there, scattering desolation,—and proving the vanity human imagination, which has been known to impel people to seek safety in cellars and similar obscure retreats! An oak tree on the estate of S. Barker, Esq. Lyndon lordship, was split in two, and one part driven to a considerable distance.
The steeple of Belton church, near Uppingham, was struck and slightly damaged by the lightning. Mr. Fancourt, of Pilton, had four ewes and two lambs killed whilst lying under some trees.
Four young beasts the property of Mr. Rowel, of Langtoft, near Deeping, were killed in a close there. On that day twelvemonth a tree was shivered by the electric fluid the same close.
