Cow Hampshire

Sky showing lightning effects during storm of August 24, 1624, drawing, black chalk on brownish paper, Library of Congress Prints and Photographic Division

During the thunder shower of Wednesday last, the lightning was frightfully vivid, and struck in several places in this city. At 6 o’clock, at the residence of John S. Folsom corner of Concord and Walnut streets [in Manchester NH], it came like a sheet of fire, as an eye-witness describes it, and it came near the house it divided, and took the points of the lightning rods on the house and barn, and went into the earth doing no harm except frightening the whole neighborhood. It seemed aimed for the barn, but the rods attracted part to the house. So powerful was the bolt that it shook the house form top to bottom, and the buildings near by–John Welch was standing in the barn across the road, and was knocked back several feet by the shock. The residents near by say the crash seemed as if the tops of the houses were falling in. The inmates of the house were not seriously injured, though James, the son, was leaning against the door post and received a jar in one ear making it numb for a while. Otis’ Patent Lightning Rods were put on the house and barn last week, and had it not been for them it is not probably the inmates would have escaped. The points of the several rods were turned black or melted, and the rods down looked yellowish as iron does when powder is flashed upon it. Continue reading →