THE STORM LAST WEEK
A tremendous thunder storm burst over Northampton and neighbourhood,
on Wednesday week. About half-past ten at night, during the storm at
Denton, the house of Mr. G. Coles, sen., was struck by the lightning,
and totally consumed. It is supposed the electric fluid entered as one
end of the roof by the chimney, from the top of which several bricks
were forced off, and fell down the chimney. It then passed down the
stairs by a lad who was sitting on the landing, into the kitchen, which
it passed, splitting a large beam going up the kitchen chimney, passing
between two crane irons, and forcing off the plaster. Mr. and Mrs. Coles
were in bed at the time, and on the house being struck, it appeared as
if the building was coming down. At the time of the fire being first
discovered, it was bursting through the top of the roof by the chimney
at the end of the house. It spread rapidly along the top of the roof,
and in a few minutes the whole was in flames. On the arrival of the
engines, the roof had fallen in, and attention was directed to two
cottages immediately adjoining, and there being a good supply of water,
they were prevented from taking fire.
The beautiful spire of the steeple of Desborough church was struck
with the electric fluid, which entered near to the top, on the
north-west side, making its way into the belfrey, and carrying with it a
portion of the flooring. It then burst open the door into the body of
the church, completely shattering the lock of the door to pieces, and
escaped through the windows on the south-side, doing considerable injury
to the stonework of the windows. A number of pigeons which had roosted
in the steeple were killed, some of them were literally smashed to
pieces. The damage done to the spire is so great, that danger is
apprehended lest a part of it should fall. A considerable portion of it
must be taken down. To what amount the damage done may at present be
estimated it is impossible to say, but some conjecture from £300 to
£400.
On the same night, and at about the same time, the electric fluid
entered the chimney of the kitchen of Mr. Thomas Loake, farmer, of the
same place, terribly alarming those who were on the premises. Mr. Ellaby,
a resident of the house, was passing through the kitchen at the time,
and whilst walking in the direction of the door, which was standing
open, the fluid passed between his feet and escaped by the door, passing
near to one of the farm labourers, but doing no damage. Mr. Ellaby
describes the sensation at the time to be as if he had been lifted up
from the floor some distance.—Northampton Mercury.
Leicester
Chronicle, Saturday 19 August 1843