396 
Abingdon-street, received great da- 
mage by a thunder-bolt, and every 
piece of iron in the structure was re- 
duced to the smallest’particles. The 
house of sir F. Whitworth, in Bru- 
ton-street, was injured in a similar 
way : the wire of the door-bell was 
completely destroyed, all the leaden 
pipes were melted, the wainscot 
burnt, and a great coat, which hung 
in the kilchen, -was- entirely con- 
sumed. The damage was consider- 
able in other parts of the town, and 
in the fields much injury was done 
among the cattle. 
8th. The following malefactors 
were executed at the Old Bailey, 
viz. A. Nicholas, in the employ of 
the general-post-office, for secreting 
a letter, and stealing bank-notes : 
P. Gregory, for forging bank-notes ; 
and RK. Smith. alias Gordon, for rob- 
bing several hackney coachmen. 
A fine boy, five years of age, son 
to Mr. Watson, of Downham-mar- 
ket, Norfolk, was last week poi- 
soned, by his having had a quantity 
of laudanum given to him, which was 
sold, through mistake, for another 
medicine. An infant, his brother, 
to whom a less quantity was given, 
was fortunately saved by the timely 
assistance of the faculty. 
A few days’ago, as three. women 
and a girl were travelling in a cart 
from Walsbeck to Gedney-hill fair, 
in ascending the steep hill, near the 
former place, the lorse’s strength 
failed. and the cart backed rapidly to 
the bottom of the hill, into the river 
Nen, where two of the women were 
drowned; the third was fortunately 
saved by the exertions of a person 
passing by. 
9th.. "This evening, at,5 o’clock, 
a most singular phenomenon. took 
place in Panton-street,, Haymarket. 
‘The inhabitants were alarmed by a 
violent and tremendous hail and 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. | 
shower storm, which extended only 
to Oxendon-street, |Whitcombe- 
street, Coventry-street, and the 
Haymarket, a space not more than 
about 200 acres: the torrent from 
the heavens was so great, that it 
could only be compared to a won- 
derful cascade from the brow of the 
most tremendous precipice, for seven 
minutes, so that the cellars of all the 
inhabitants in Panton-street and 
Oxendon-street were filled with wa- 
ter. Astonishing to relate, in the 
midst of this hurricane, an electric 
cloud descended in the middle of the 
street, and fell in the centre of the | 
coach-way, and sunk in a_ great 
depth, without leaving a vestige, or 
any particle of matter, but formed a 
complete pit. The smell of brim. 
stone, for some considerable. se- 
conds, was so strong, that the inha- 
bitants expected every minute to be 
suffocated. Mr. Madden, who 
keeps a public-house near the spot, 
had water and beer butts thrown 
flat from the stillions, and no other 
damage whatever done. 
This evening, a very heavy storm 
of thunder, lightning, and rain took 
place at Lewes. It commenced 
about six o’clock, and continued, 
with but little intermission, until 
eight. The lightning, which emitted 
a strong sulphureous smell, was ex- 
tremely vivid, and the thunder alarm- 
ingly awful, particularly one clap, 
which must have been very low, 
and near, as it burst forth before 
the flash that preceded it had well 
disappeared. The rain fell in such 
torrents, that it inundated the streets, 
the roads, and lowest apartments of 
many houses; and, near Rotting- 
dean, it washed the mould from the 
corn-fields. over the cliff, in quanti- 
ties that actually blackened the sea 
some distance from the shore. The 
lightning, it is said, struck the wea- 
ther-cock 
