■2  34 
Papers  relative  to  an  Accident 
TO  THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  LORD  AMHERST,  LIEU- 
TENANT-GENERAL OF  HIS  MAJESTY’S  ORDNANCE,  8tC. 
MY  LORD 
Office  of  Ordnance, 
Purfleet,  May  20,  1777. 
IN  obedience  to  your  lordfhip’s  commands  of  the 
1 9th  inftant,  directing  me  to  report  concerning  the  acci- 
dent that  happened  to  the  Board’s  houfe  by  lightning  on 
the  15th,  I beg  leave  to  acquaint  your  lordfnip,  that  on 
that  day  there  had  been  much  rain  and  diftant  thunder; 
but,  about  fix  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  a very  heavy 
cloud  hung  over  the  houfe  for  fome  time,  which  1 looked 
at  from  the  back-parlour  window,  and  it  being  quite 
calm,  made  me  fufpect,  that  fome  of  our  conductors 
might  find' employment  from  it.  I had  not  been  long  at 
the  window  before  a violent  fiafli  of  lightning  and  clap 
of  thunder  came  together ; and,  as  foon  as  the  rain  would 
permit  any  body  to  move  about,  one  of  the  labourers 
brought  me  fome  pieces  of  itone  and  a brick,  which 
were  ftruck  off  from  the  copeing  on  the  parapet -wall  of 
the  building  from  the  North-eaft  corner.  On  my  fon’s 
coming  home,  I de fired  him  to  go  and  view  the  top  of 
the  houfe.  On  his  return  he  told  me,  that  the  lightning 
had  ftruck  one  of  the  cramps  that  hold  the  copeing  toge- 
ther, and  had  made  a dent  in  the  lead  of  the  cramp,  and 
2 . the 
