When was it published?

October 31, 1766 in The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Foreign News October 31, 1766

The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Q: What keywords are associated?

Hail Storm, Lightning Damage, Reading Berkshire, Fireball, Sheep Killed, Woman Death

Portsmouth, Greenland, Rockingham County, New Hampshire

View full issue View on Library of Congress PDF Page 4

What is this article about?

A severe hail and rain storm with thunder and lightning struck Reading, Berkshire, around 4 PM, causing damage to buildings, a fire, and deaths of five sheep and a young woman.

Clipping

OCR Quality

95% Excellent

Full Text

About four in the afternoon a storm of hail and rain attended with very terrible thunder and lightning happened at Reading in Berkshire. On the wharf a fire ball was seen to fall, by which an adjacent house was greatly damaged. In the market place the lightning melted the lead of a casement, but did no other damage to the house. At the gaol a chimney was struck by lightning, and beat down one of the prisoners enclosures, and other damage done; in the King's mead about half a mile from the town some hay was set on fire: and in the neighbourhood five sheep were killed that had taken shelter under a tree; and at Hagbourne a young man and woman being over-taken by a storm, the woman fell from her horse and expired immediately.

What sub-type of article is it?

Disaster

What keywords are associated?

Hail Storm Lightning Damage Reading Berkshire Fireball Sheep Killed Woman Death

Where did it happen?

Reading In Berkshire

Foreign News Details

Primary Location

Reading In Berkshire

Outcome

house damaged by fireball; lead melted in market place; gaol chimney struck and prisoner's enclosure beaten down; hay set on fire; five sheep killed; young woman died after falling from horse.

Event Details

Around four in the afternoon, a storm of hail and rain with thunder and lightning occurred at Reading in Berkshire. A fireball fell on the wharf, damaging a nearby house. Lightning melted lead in a market place casement without further house damage. At the gaol, a chimney was struck, beating down a prisoner's enclosure and causing other damage. In King's mead, half a mile from town, hay was set on fire. In the neighbourhood, five sheep sheltering under a tree were killed. At Hagbourne, a young man and woman overtaken by the storm; the woman fell from her horse and died immediately.