i 4 NATURAL HISTORY 
of the chimney where the Lightning flrft fell ; all the boards were 
broken to pieces, the bedhead and the timbers of the roof fhattered : 
of the chamber partition two planks were forced, a large prefs for 
holding cloaths thrown down, and the fouth windows of the chamber 
floor (except one cafement) all broken and blown out. From the 
top of the chimney and the chamber floor it defcended vertically 
into the kitchen below, where the family was. The farmer faw 
no Lightning, nor heard any Thunder, being ftruck fenfelefs with 
the flrft flafh, and thrown into the middle of the kitchen, where 
he continued fenfelefs for a quarter of an hour. As foon as he came 
to himfelf, he alked, Who ftruck him ? but had not the ufe of his 
arms, and felt an aching pain fhooting, as he defcribed it, into his 
bones ; and a brand-iron, which hung in the chimney, being thrown 
down into the pan of water, had dallied the boiling water upon 
him to that degree, that his life was in extreme danger for more 
than a fortnight after. Mrs. Olivey was ftruck down upon the 
hearth ; both her fhoes, though buckled on as ufual, were ftruck 
off her feet, but her feet not hurt ; and being neither burnt nor 
fenfelefs, fhe was able to cry out for help, but could not move ; 
for fhe had no ufe of her under limbs for a day and half : the 
farmer’s brother was at the end of a long table in the fame room, 
and was only flung againft the wall about three feet diftant, and not 
hurt. Mrs. Olivey ’s After was near the back-door ; a part of this 
door was ftarted and beaten in, fhe was ftruck fenfelefs, and thrown 
twelve feet off againft a fettle, which flood contiguous to the fouth 
wall of the houfe. The farmer’s fon had feated himfelf according 
to his father’s directions, but unhappily in the very courfe of the 
fierceft Ligthning; his coat and waiftcoats (for he had two on) 
were torn into fhreds, fo that it was difficult to diftinguifh where 
the pieces had formerly joined ; his fhirt had a rent two feet lonp- 
down the back, and was Anged ; his left flioe torn from his foot ; 
and the little toe of that foot fo near cut off, that it hung but by 
a bit of fkin ; and he was quite dead : but though reduced to this 
lamentable condition, as to his exteriour, he was not moved from 
his feat, nor his face at all changed. His dog was lying at his feet, 
dead likewife ; but not moved from his place. 
The farmer’s daughter received the fhock in the hall, was ftruck 
fenfelefs, but revived foon ; felt a trembling all over, her feet tick- 
ling, partly benumbed, and ftiff, as if fleeping ; but perceiving in 
the room a cloud of fmoke, and hearing her mother cry, fhe made 
hafte into the kitchen, which fhe found full of fmoke, ftinking like 
brimftone. The Lightning had left a mark quite acrofs the clavel 
of the kitchen chimney, about half an inch wide, in an undulating 
direction, broke through the partitions of the under floor, thrown 
down 
