RAINFALL IN DORSET. 109 



uninterruptedly until half -past ten o'clock in the evening. The downpour was 

 accompanied by heavy thunder, and lightning flashed from all quarters of the 

 horizon. 



Throughout the district the, storm was so heavy as to cause a great deal of 

 damage to gardens, many of which presented a sorry appearance on the following 

 morning. In addition to this a great deal of damage was done to the fruit crops 

 by the large hailstones. 



As might easily be imagined, the attendances at the various places of worship 

 were but small, the people showing but little disposition to face the storm. 



Reports of damage caused by the storm have been received from all quarters. 



In Gillingham, so far as can be ascertained, no damage has been caused beyond 

 the destruction of a few trees by lightning. 



Our Shaftesbury correspondent writes that the tremendous crashes of thunder 

 and the vivid lightning filled the inhabitants with alarm. The downpour of rain 

 transformed the streets into running streams of water, and many people were 

 kept busy in checking an influx into their houses. In the afternoon the 

 pinnacle over the turret of Holy Trinity fell into the churchyard, fortunately 

 missing the building, or extensive damage would have been done to the sacred 

 edifice. As it is, the repairing of the pinnacle will involve a considerable outlay, 

 which, fortunately, will be partly covered by the Ecclesiastical Insurance Co., with 

 whom it was insured. Quite a large number of people visited the scene during 

 the evening, and the service was held as usual. A cottage in Layton, occupied 

 by a man named Hayward, w r as also struck, the lightning striking the chimney 

 and dislodging a quantity of bricks, passing down the chimney and completely 

 removing the fire grate out of its position. The chimney of Dorset House, in 

 Haimes Lane, was also injured. A cottage in Enmore Green was severely 

 damaged, and a horse in a field at Enmore Green belonging to Mr. J. Bragg, of 

 High Street, was struck by the lightning, which caused lock-jaw. On Sunday 

 evening the service at St. James' Church was abandoned. Many people had 

 gone out for drives in the afternoon and had to put up anywhere they could find 

 shelter. 



At Lily's Green, a house in the occupation of Mr. Jas. Blandford was 

 damaged by lightning. A hole was made in the chimney, and the stones, falling 

 inwards, descended the chimney, dislodging a kettle from the fire, fortunately 

 without any injury being caused to the family of five who were sitting around. 

 They were all very much frightened and quickly made their escape from the 

 room. 



At Lower Coombe, Mr. Jeremiah Sanger, market gardener, has sustained very 

 serious loss, his crops of potatoes, peas, &c., being washed clean away. During 

 the storm a cloud is said to have burst over his field, the water sweeping every- 

 thing before it to the depth of a foot. Mr. George Sanger's cottage was flooded 

 and his outhouses filled with water and soil. A large oak tree standing near the 

 cottage was struck by lightning, the bark being stripped from the trunk in all 

 directions and some of the branches being splintered into matchwood, 



