1 10 RAINFALL IN DORSET. 



Mr. John Gillingham, market gardener, whose gardens are close to Mr. 

 Ranger's, was served in the same manner by the water. During the storm four 

 heifers belonging to Mr. William Ford, Hook Farm, Wardour, were struck by 

 lightning and killed. 



At Jubilee Farm, Nyland, which is occupied by Mr. John Courtney, a chimney, 

 about seven feet high, was struck by lightning and split in half, and some of the 

 bricks were thrown sixty yards. For two or three seconds the place resembled a 

 ball of fire and several persons in the vicinity were so much stunned by the shock 

 as to be unable to see anything for some minutes. 



A severe storm passed over the Wimborne district on Sunday, and many peals 

 of thunder were heard during the afternoon and evening. The lightning in the 

 evening was very vivid, and a heavy fall of rain was recorded in the district north 

 of the town, although none actually fell in the urban area. The river Stour was 

 much swollen on Tuesday, but, fortunately, a flood, which would be a very 

 unwelcome visitor, did not follow. 



The storm was very severely felt in Wiltshire and some trees were struck by 

 lightning near Semley Church. Mr. A. R. White had a ewe and lamb killed at 

 Charnage. At Kingston Deverill Mr. Sfratton lost four ewes and a lamb which 

 were struck, and at Brixton Deverill a thatched cottage was set on fire. The 

 Vicar closed the service at the church, and the congregation succeeded in putting 

 out the fire before much damage was done. The lightning struck the house of 

 Mr. King, farmer, of Dinton, while the family were at tea. The house was set 

 on fire, but the outbreak was soon extinguished. Those in the house escaped 

 with a fright ; very little damage was done. The foundations of the obelisk at 

 Stourhead were much damaged by lightning, and Mr. C. Pickford, of Heath 

 Farm, Stourtou, had two sows and seven pigs killed by the lightning. While 

 Mrs. Davis was in the kitchen of her house at Morgan's Vale the lightning struck 

 the mantelpiece, smashed a clock which was on it, rendering it quite useless, 

 besides burning the paper on the wall. 



During the progress of the storm, at 9.30 p.m., Mr. Holmes, photographer, of 

 Castle Street, Mere, succeeded in getting a splendid photograph of the Church 

 and tower, showing a magnificent flash of lightning falling to the earth quite 

 close to the tower. The telegraph poles and even the wires are quite distinct. 

 Fortunately, little damage was done in the immediate neighbourhood of Mere, 

 but Mr. A. B. White had two sheep killed by the lightning. 



In Fonthill Park some trees were struck, one tree being completely splintered. 

 Four heifers belonging to Mr. Ford, at Nook Farm, were killed whilst at Fonthill 

 Bishop. The bark of a poplar tree was ripped from the top to the bottom of the 

 trunk. 



A very heavy thunderstorm was experienced at Castle Gary on Sunday last, 

 the thunder and lightning being continuous from about three in the afternoon 

 till midnight. The lightning was exceptionally vivid, but no serious damage was 

 done, the only building that suffered being an implement house on Lodge Hill 

 belonging to the Manor Farm, 



