A Narrative of Divers Odd Effects of a Dreadful Thunder-Clap, at Stralfund in Pomerania, 19/29 June 1670;Taken Out of a Relation,There Printed by Authority in High Dutch

which convey the Chyle to the Breasts of Nursing Women; and shew'd, that they do issue out of the Duclis of Monsieur Pecquet. This is a discovery of a thing, the being of which hath been believed long since, though not made out. Another person hath assured me, that there is certainly another passage of the Urine to the Bladder than by the Ureters; an Experiment having been lately made, whereby the Ureters of a Dog were so carefully tyed up, that nothing could pass that way, and yet the Urinary Bladder was found full of Water. A Narrative of divers odd Effects of a dreadful Thunder-clap, at Stralsund in Pomerania, 19 June 1675; taken out of a Relation, there Printed by Authority in High Dutch. After a very hot season from the beginning of this month of June, on the 16th of the same, early in the morning a great Tempest was observed, gathering West-South West, of which there appear'd much Lightning, with some Thunder only as afar off. On the nineteenth (being Sunday) after several less strong reports of Thunder, the whole Town, and particularly the Congregation in St. Nicolaus Church, when the Minister was Preaching, was strangely surprised with a most terrible flash of Lightning and a fearful Thunder-clap, which lighted down through the lesser steeple upon the body of the Church, and through the round large hole in the upper Vault within the same, in the shape (as some observ'd) of a black fiery ball, directly upon the Altar, causing such an hideous crack, fire-flash, smoak and damp there, as if many fire balls had been thrown down thither from the said Vault, and bursted all at once; begetting a dismal consternation among the people, and leaving an ill Sulphureous smell behind. The Candle on the South-side of the Altar was put out by the blow, the other remain'd burning. Two of the Chalices there, were overthrown, and the Wine Spilt, and the Wafers scatter'd about; but the empty Chalice stood firm. All three were somewhat smutted at the foot, and one of them a little bent there, and in two places pierced through as if it had been by hail-shot: And the Wafer-boxes were likewise a little smutted. smutted towards the bottom. The Church book was flung on the inner passage: The Covers of the Altar were singed in divers parts, as by powder, and somewhat burnt and smutted here and there, as also torn in some places. A strong piece of Wainscot, with a Picture upon it, behind the great Altar, was split in two. Of the Church-clock, in the West end, at the same time, both the Brass and Iron-Wires of the whole and quarter-hours hammer was partly broken, and the rest could not be found; and an Oaken Post fixt in the wall for the support of the Dyall, was half torn, and beneath the same divers Bricks were struck out of the two Head-Pillars supporting the Steeple. On the top of the Southern steeple, an Oaken Gutter, and a strong Beam and Supporter were shatter'd, and fell dangerously, but that one part of it held fast yet by one Nail. One of the Ministers, though sitting near the Altar to the South, had no hurt at all. Divers of the people seated round about the Altar fell down to the ground with the fright. One Youth, that stood next the said Ministers Pew, not being able to recover his senses, was carried home. On the North side of the Altar, four persons fell down, and one of the Oaken Seats being split under him that sat thereon, that person was much hurt by it, and more than any other. Some that stood in or by the Belfree, near the Clock, were slightly hurt here and there; and among them a Mariner, leaning on a lined oaken Seat there, had his right arm bruised; and another man though but slightly hurt, yet could not remember, how he got home from Church. The Sermon being broke off, and the people making hast away, some observ'd, that there issued forth a huge Damp out of the Southern Steeple, like unto Smoak which possest many with great fears of Fire within; but the Church-Carpenter, upon search of the said Steeple and Church-roof within, met only with a present noise and thick damp, which, though it frighted him at first into an apprehension of Fire indeed; yet, getting to the Windows, and opening them, the damp issued with great violence, but there appear'd no Fire anywhere, save only a little in the shatter'd parts of the Steeple, which was soon quenched. The Church-Dyall was also much smutted in sundry parts, soiling the gilt figures that they could scarce be discerned. The gilt Weather-cocks, upon both the Steeples, were likewise smutted on the one side of their Tayles, without any other mark. Nor could it be in the least discover'd, in either of the Steeples, which way the Claps entred, by all the search that was made. Among the persons, that were any way hurt, (who were but eight in all) divers notable particulars were observed afterwards, viz. One, that stood in the Bell-free, had the upper back-part of his Cloth-coat, as also his shirt and skin, somewhat torn; but the lining of that Coat, which was red-frieze, had no hurt at all, betwixt the rest. Another, sitting in a Pew under the Organs, and leaning on the door, whilst the Pew-lock (then close to his body) was so violently struck out, that it hung only by one Nail, had no damage at all by it himself, nor any other that sat or stood by there, when the stroak happen'd, though they fell all to the ground by the fright, at the instant when it was given. And as for him, that had his Arm bruised, it was somewhat strange, that afterwards there was found a hole passing his coat, waist-coat and shirt on the fore-part of his Body, without in the least hurting the Body; the hole appearing just as shot through. And besides, notice was taken, that the said man's Waist-coat (being of a red Sarcanet) kept its colour everywhere, but at the place where the Arm was hurt; and the waist-coat being edged with a small Silver-lace, the lace was smutted almost every where, and about the neck too, where the party wore a Cravate. The same person had also one half of a shoe torn off, the soal being pierced as with hail-shot; and a piece of his stockings foot on the same foot struck away, near an hand-breadth; without any other hurt to either foot or leg, but that for some dayes that foot was benummed. Lastly, one of them that sat by the Altar, had his Breeches and Leather-drawers on both sides pierced through, as by hail- hail-shot, and part of it plainly scorch't and shrunk up, as by fire; and divers of such small holes in his shirt too, yet without any hurt in his body; save, that he found some pain in his foot. One side of his shoe also was half torn, and the Soal sideward pierced through, as 'twere, with hail shot. Yet there dyed not any one of all them that were hurt; they recovering either of themselves, or by the advice and help of others. An Extract of a Letter of M. Hevelius, written to the Publisher from Dantzick, August 17th 1670. Concerning a New Star, lately discover'd in the Constellation of the Swan, together with the present Appearance of the Planet Saturn. E Tiam si non dubitem ultimas meas Tibi esse traditas, nihilominus tamen hicse Te rursus invifere volui, quos vos de Observatione quadam notain digna certiores facerem, mentemque simul meam ea de re vobis exponere: De Nova videlicet illa Fixa circa Cygnum, nuper deprehsa; non quidem de illa, qua in Pectore ejus jam Anno 1600 illuxit, & Anno 1660 rursus evanuit, ac denuò Anno 1666. mensè Septembri, infa stellulae Septimae magnitudinis emicuit; de qua eo tempore, si recte memini, insus vobis perscripseram: Sed de Fixa prorsus diversa, Tertiæ magnitudinis fere, circa & infra caput Cygni, inter informes conspicua, cujus Longitudo 1°.52′.26″, & Latitudo 47°.25′.22″. Bor. modo existit ut observationes, die 25 Julii à me habita, luculentior ostendunt. Novam autem stellam hanc ipsam omnino esse, & in Celo ad annum 1660 penitus inconspicuum fuisse, non est quod quisquam dubitet. Nam, ut nosti, a pluribus jam annis, & Planetarum & Fixarum observationibus maximè (quod praefiscine dixerim) operam dedi, sic ut non solum omnes illas à Tychone olim observatas, globoque adscriptas, sed & reliquas haec tenus neglectas, nudo tamen oculo bene conspicuas, tum Quartæ tum Quintæ tum Sextæ magnitudinis, in quibusvis Asterismis accuratè notarem, inque catalogum referrem: quo imposterum efacilis, si qua nova prodiat Fixa, deprehsenderetur. Accidit igitur ut Anno jam 1659, 1660, & 1661. para que stel-