92. ° 
XIl.. EFFECTS. 
OF LIGHTNING ON THE HOUSE OF THE REV. SILAS ROR di 
IN ARUNDEL, IN MAINE, AuGuST 17, 180 
In a letter to the Rev. John Eliot, D. Do. Fe Ae Ac 
By Rev. SILAS MOODY, A.M. 
mS 56 5 Ee 
Arundel, August 17, 1807. 
REV. SIR, go 
I LEARN by the news papers, that the members of the Acade- 
my of Arts and Sciences solicit communications respecting the meni 
of lightning in certain places and circumstances. 
Some years ago my house was struck with lightning at the ridge 
pole ; it ran down the principal and corner post ; shattered the casing 
of the post, and strewed the pieces over the bed, where a child lay 
asleep, within eighteen inches, or two feet, of the post. I sat inaroom 
adjoining, separated only bya thin partition. Hearing the child make 
a noise, I immediately opened the door, found the room, where it lay, 
filled with smoke of a sulphureous smell, caught the child in my arms, 
carried it to an outer door for fresh air, awoke it (for it was still asleep) 
a la le Dc rd a a 
and could not perceive that it had received the least harm. The room a 
was closely shut, and there was no fire place in it. Query, Whether _ 
the closeness of the room, or feathers in the bed as repellent, were 
means, under the —— of a gracious God, of preserving the child 
from injury. 
The doors and windows in the room, where I sat, when the ie 
ning struck, were shut; but there was a large, open fire place in it” 
Some in the room felt great inconvenience from the shock, but ve 
not _ stunned, 
Your friend and servant, 
SILAS MOODY. — 
