Effects of Lightning, 



241 



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Pig- 1, on preceding page, represents a ground plan of the prem- 

 ises : A, front door which opened into the entry E ; B, front room ; 

 Cj kitchen; ch^ chimney; e^ old fashioned clock, reaching from 

 the floor near to the ceihng ; /, seat of Mr. Diaper by the clock; 

 g^ seat of Mr, Barney ; A, seat of Mrs. Draper ; z, seat of Mr. Dra- 

 per's daughter; S, stove; c, door leading out of the kitchen into 

 back entry E' ; p^ post on which hung a mirror; T, Tj Balm of 

 Gilead trees; W, well. 



The house was first struck at A, fig. 2, whence the fluid passed 

 into the house and divided ; 2. 



a part going down the stud 



VIEW FROM THE 2i, E. 



A C, and thence down the 

 stud C D to the ground ; the 

 other part went down the 

 rafter A B, and thence dow^n 

 the post B H, to the ground. 

 The part which wenl down 

 A C ran along the stud from 

 A till it came to a long iron 

 spit about three feet "long, 

 down this it passed to its 

 point which rested on the 

 beam F B, thence along the beam a short distance to the stud 

 C D, down which it went, tearing off several clapboards in its 

 progress on the outside of the house, and the laths, plastering and 

 paper, beside the window, on the inside. It also broke from the 

 window three lights of glass, throwing the glass into the house. 

 The white oak stud C D was split its entire length, the fluid fol- 

 lowing the rows of nails which fastened the laths, clapboards, &c. 

 That portion of the fluid which went down the rafter A B split 

 off the weather board from the rafter, then passed down the post 

 BH a short distance till it came opposite the wheel-work of the 

 tall old fashioned clock which stood in the corner at e, fig. L 

 From the post it passed to the top of the clock to the wheels, 

 tearing off the upper part of the clock-case and throwing it into 

 the middle of the room B, fig, L From the wheels, it passed 

 <Jovvn the long iron pendulum, thence through the bottom of the 

 clock-case into the corner of the house and into the ground. 

 The glass in the upper part of the clock-case was broken, and 

 the case at the bottom was badly splintered, but the clock was 

 ^ot stopped. 



Mr. Draper, who was sitting in the chair at /, fig. 1, was pros- 

 trated by this part of the shock into the middle of the room, on 

 his face. There was no visible mark of injury on him at the 

 time, although he complained at first of numbness in his lower 

 limbs, then of a severe burning sensation in his feet, and requested 

 that his ** boots might be taken off^ for his feet were burning up.'^ 



Second Series, VoL XII, No. 35.— Sept., 185L SI 



