An Account of the Effects of a Storm of Thunder and Lightning at Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire, on the 16th of July, 1759: In a Letter from Mrs. Anne Whitfeld. Communicated by Mr. John van Rixtel, F. R. S.

Carolsbadt water, as superior to lime-water, in dissolving stones out of the body, if confirmed by correspondent events in the internal use, would be a discovery of the greatest moment, and highly deserves to be prosecuted. I shall only observe here, that the principal minerals impregnating it are a native alcaline salt, and a calcarious earth; and that the Aix la Chapelle waters are not without such a salt and earth also, and, which is of more moment, they are reported, by long taking, to render the urine alcaline, even as do the Carolsbadt waters; and we are also told, that calculi, macerated twenty-four hours in the water of Aix la Chapelle, have been reduced to a sand, or soft consistence: but how far this last, the Selters, the Bourne waters, or our Tilbury water, or others alike impregnated, may participate of a like virtue, must be determined by further observation and experience. Dublin, the 24th 3d mo. 1759. XXIX. An Account of the Effects of a Storm of Thunder and Lightning at Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire, on the 16th of July, 1759: In a Letter from Mrs. Anne Whitfeld. Communicated by Mr. John Van Rixtel, F.R.S. SIR, Rickmersworth, Oct. 22, 1759. My son not being at home, I have taken upon me to comply with your request, in giving you an account of the damages we we sustained by the thunder and lightning on the 16th of July last. It was about a quarter after eight in the morning, when I had but just got out of the window where I had been sitting, and which is in the west side of the house, and was not got half way cross the parlour, before aviolent storm of thunder and lightning burst in at one of the sashes, and broke five large panes, and tore down the shutter, and shivered the window-seat, that the splinters passed by me to the farther end of the room; and one side of me was covered with the glass: one pane also was broke to pieces where I had been sitting. I had the mortification to stand so near the window, as to see all the tiles and a chimney shoot off from the house, as if shot out of a kettle: the noise was so great, that at first I apprehended the drum of my ears broke, and it was some time before I was able hear at all, and some hours before I perfectly recovered my hearing. The sulphureous smell was so great, I cannot describe it, and the heat I felt on my cheek and head not to be conceived, without the same being felt. When it had ceased, I was going out at the door, and was met by my daughter, with her comb-tray under her arm, and split; who in a mournful tone said, Mamma, I am almost killed. On her telling me it had broke into her room, I immediately went up: I two or three times attempted going into her chamber before I could venture, and then not without covering my face with a thin apron I had on; the sulphur-smoke and dust being so great, that I was almost suffocated, besides it being so darkened by it that I could not see the window, which I felt out, and set open. When the dust and smoke had a little subsided, how deplo- rable was the sight to me, and several of our neighbours! who by that time were come in. To give you some faint idea of it, tho' beyond my description, it had burst into one side of the room, where there had formerly been a window, now blocked up, but the iron-bars left standing, which were all forced down, and a very large hole made through the bricks, and the timber split, a splinter being carried across the room, and stuck into the lead of a small window, that gave light to a passage; the bed driven at least two foot from its place; the rail the valance were nailed to split in sunder; all the valance were unnailed, and the rings torn off from the curtains, and some of the tester torn; the locks of a bureau and corner-cupboard forced open, with the bolts standing upright; some pictures were broken, and a little India cabinet broken to pieces, and almost every thing that was in the drawers of it: there was a small stand, with a wash-hands basin on it, and a decanter of water close to it; the basin was broken to pieces, and the decanter not hurt: the window was shattered to pieces, and the hangings of one side the room torn. My daughter was in the room at this time, and not hurt, any more than forced against the bed-post, suffocated with sulphur, and almost deaf as I was: it was thought her comb-tray preserved her arm, by keeping it hollow from her waist, as that was split, as if knocked in on one side with a hammer; and the door, very fortunately being open, gave some air, which otherwise could not be had, as there was no chimney in her room, and, as she said, assisted her in making her escape the sooner; for she only felt out the door; so that, had it been fastened, as it was two or three minutes before this this happened, she would have been suffocated before she could have got out: a memorable providence of the Almighty! which she and I ought always to be thankful for. I then went into the next chamber on one side of hers, where the chimney had fallen from, that lay open to the air: a large stone round the chimney, instead of marble, hung dropping, which was forced to be taken down by two or three men, to prevent its breaking the marble hearth: the chimney-board and a brass hearth broken to pieces, as was the wainscot over the chimney: six panes of the sash-window were broken. I then returned from viewing the mischief done up-stairs, and went into the garden; the door into it had a large piece of strong, sound oak split off, and carried away: a stone fixed into the gravel, to receive the water from the spouts, was thrown upon its edge, and smoaked like a boiling pot, occasioned, I suppose, from being wet with the rain, that had fallen a little before the thunder-clap, that did this damage: about ten yards from this stone, the gravel was torn up as if with a plough-share. A little garden, that had two gates opposite each other; the one, in the same west front as the house, was split to pieces; and the leaden spout, that went down the side of the gate, was beat flat, and the ground round it thrown up: the other gate had its eell torn quite up: the lead over the door and windows of that side of the house rolled up like a sheet; and, what is more amazing, the chamber, over the parlour that was so much damaged, not hurt; yet the two beyond it received so much damage as I have before related; and none of the rooms under the aforesaid chambers were in the least hurt. These, Sir, Sir, are the particulars of that day's misfortunes; but there were some more trifling damages, too much for this present time to admit me to recount: and this account you may depend on as authentic, as more than an hundred people can testify, that flocked in on that, and for several days after, to view. If this is any-wise satisfactory to you, it will give great pleasure to, SIR, Your humble servant, Anne Whitfeld. XXX. An Account of some extraordinary Effects of Lightning, in a Letter to Dr. Gowin Knight: By Mr. William Mountain, F. R. S. Dear Sir, Read Nov. 22, 1759. THE following account of the effects of lightning, in my neighbourhood, I have drawn up for your perusal; and, if it meets with your approbation, be pleased to communicate the same to the Royal Society, or dispose of it in any other manner, as you shall think proper. During the morning of July the 16th last, was much thunder and lightning: about eight o'clock was heard an extraordinary loud crack, which seemed to me very near, as the large flash and sound were almost coincident. In a few minutes, there was an alarm,