332 Mr. P. Clare on some Thunder-storms 



that town and Wigan, in which direction it seems to have 

 progressed ; for a little before five o'clock distant thunder was 

 heard towards the east and south-east of Wigan, and about 

 six another storm arose to the north of the last-named town, 

 which spread or extended southward, so as to unite with that 

 approaching from the east ; and when they united, the rain 

 began to descend in torrents, having more the appearance of 

 the descent of a water-spout than of a shower of rain : the 

 thunder and lightning were terrific; but I have not been able 

 to ascertain whether there was any loss of life in this imme- 

 diate neighbourhood, although it is reported that a person 

 was killed at Wigan. 



At St. Helens, which is six or eight miles to the south-west 

 of Wigan, John Rigby, a coal miner, aged forty-six years, 

 was looking out of an upstairs window of his house during 

 the thunder-storm, about seven o'clock in the evening, when 

 he was struck by the electric fluid and killed on the spot: 

 there was a mark on his breast, and the shoe on his right foot 

 was torn to pieces. Several persons in the same house were 

 knocked down, but all of them recovered. 



Robert* Gore, a farm-labourer, of Marsh-side in North 

 Meols, aged twenty years, was driving his master's cart home 

 between six and seven o'clock the same evening, when the 

 mare took fright at the noise of the thunder and ran away ; 

 the man and a little boy were riding in the cart at the time : 

 when the master's son came up with them, he found the mare 

 and cart on the ground, and Gore lying by the side of the 

 cart quite dead : the horse and boy escaped. 



Evan Rimmer, a farm-servant, aged eighteen years, was 

 taking shelter with four others in a stable or shed adjoining 

 William Wright's farm in Moss Lane, North Meols, when 

 the building was struck by the electric fluid about seven o'clock 

 the same evening during the thunder-storm, and they were all 

 knocked down. Rimmer was killed; the others were put to 

 bed and recovered. 



In the country between St. Helens and North Meols, a 

 distance of about twenty miles in a north-westerly direction, 

 several persons sustained injury by the lightning; but except- 

 ing the three above mentioned, no fatal cases occurred. At 

 Ormskirk, a woman who was sewing was struck blind by a 

 flash of lightning, but recovered her sight in a few days. 



From North Meols the storm passed northward towards 

 the river Ribble and Lytham, but it does not appear that any 

 damage was done there by the lightning. 



At about eight o'clock the same evening the town of War- 

 rington, which is situated several miles to the south of the 



