132 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO I764. 



through the roof above the composite story; at the ends of another set of iron 

 bars placed lower than the former, from which it tore out a large portion of the 

 stone. It then struck, the iron bars of this story, which are placed immediately 

 under, and in contact with the stones, broke one of the iron bars directly across, 

 and bent the larger part of it from its horizontal direction to near, an angle of 

 45°. Its rapid progress being here in some measure prevented, at the end of 

 one of the iron bars, it threw ofF the upper part of one of the composite pillars 

 just above its capital and a large portion of the cornice projecting over it, and 

 that with such a force, that part of a stone which was placed here and formed a 

 portion of the cornice, and weighed 72 pounds, was projected, not only the 

 whole length of the body of the church, but beyond it, across St. Bride's lane; 

 where it fell on the top of a house, and broke through the roof, and lodged in 

 the garret. The horizontal distance from the steeple to the place where it fell, 

 was at least 1 50 feet ; the height from which it fell somewhat more than 200. 

 This piece of stone was of a very irregular figure, and must have required an 

 amazing force to rend it, detach it from the building, and throw it to such a 

 distance. The shaft of the pillar, the next to the east of that whose upper part 

 had suffered so much, was likewise violently struck ; and a large portion of its 

 diameter broken out and thrown down. The Ionic story has suffered consi- 

 derably, more particularly the pilaster fronting the north-east, and placed directly 

 under the composite column, whose top was thrown off. This pilaster is much 

 injured, but the story in general has suffered less than the composite, and that 

 chiefly where the irons are inserted; the upper Tuscan less than that, and the 

 lower Tuscan but little, except in the north-east pier, which is considerably 

 cracked and shaken ; as if in its passage part of the force of the lightning was 

 spent in these explosions, and part absorbed and conducted by the masses of 

 store. The damage done to the steeple is, except near the top, confined almost 

 to the east and north east side, and most generally where the ends of the iron 

 bars have been inserted into the stone or placed under it; and in some places, by its 

 violence in the stone, its passage may be traced from one iron bar to another. 

 And it is very remarkable, that to lessen the quantity of stone in this beautiful 

 steeple, in several parts cramps of iron have been employed; and on these, stones 

 of no great thickness have been placed, both by way of ornament and to cover 

 the cramped joint. In several places these square stones have, on account of 

 their covering the iron, been quite blown oft^, and thrown away. A great num- 

 ber of stones, some of them large ones, were thrown from the steeple, 3 of 

 which fell on the roof of the church, and did great damage to it ; and one of 

 these broke through the large timbers which form it, and lodged in the gallery. 

 In the tower of the steeple, in the room where the bells are placed, the light- 

 ning took the south-west window above the bells and close to the window, not 



