A Letter from Mr. Jos. Nelson, concerning the Effects of the Abovementioned Storm of Thunder and Lightning at Colchester

IV. A Letter from Mr. Jos. Nelson, concerning the Effects of the abovementioned Storm of Thunder and Lightning at Colchester. Colchester, July 26, 1708. SIR, HAVING taken notice of the Strange Effects of Thunder you Published for the Months of January and February last, the like was strange in this Town of Colchester. On July 16 die Veneris 1708, about Eight of the Clock at Night (the greater part of the Afternoon being Cloudy, but more thick toward Night, with Thunder at a distance for above an Hour before, and much Lightning) I heard a Thunder-Crack so loud, as if it were close to me, (the like I never heard before;) at which time the Thunder and Lightning broke into Mr. Joshua King's House, at the Sign of the Hart in Maudlin-street in Colchester, beginning at the South side thereof at the Gable-end, breaking several Roof-Tiles, and near 20 other, as at c in the Figure, continuing its Course Perpendicular, and in a strait Line (the only Motion that seems consistent with such Violence, which it seems was otherwise in the Gentlewoman's House in Ireland) it went into a Lean-to, and lighting on a bunching out of the Wall at d, it entered into the Strong-Beer Buttery thro' the Laths, and forced a Cork out of the lower Tap-hole of a Butt, to the Loss of some Gallons of Beer; in its way at a, it shiver'd a Stud about three Inches Square, so that one side remain'd nail'd to Laths, yet not much thicker than a Lath, and also brake. it in two as if it were a Tobacco-Pipe. Below the Beam at b, it clave or split a Stud, about 4 Inches square, several Foot down, which is there standing; this was from its violent razing on the outside. At the time of this Blow the said Mr. King was in the Lean-too, and thought he should have been destroyed with the Lightning, but received no hurt; he smelt a strong Sulphurous Scent. It cast the broken Wall divers Rood with the Violence. There was some little damage done to Alhallow's Church about the same time in the laid Town. But that which was most lamentable, divers Boats were carrying Persons from Harwich to Ipswich on the Orwell; the violence of the Thunder and Lightning kill'd four dead immediately, made a Lad run Mad, and wounded the rest that were in that Boat, which were twelve Persons, and melted a Watch and the Chain all of a Lump which was in a Dead Man's Pocket; this was about the same time of the aforementioned. Mr. Thomas Holborow of Colchester, Goldsmith, was Eye-Witness to this: being in one of the Boats, he smelt such a Scent of Sulphur as he could not bear. This was about eighteen Miles N. E. of Colchester, and one Mile S. E. it was no more violent than an ordinary Storm.