The Massachusetts Spy

On SUNDAY, the continuance of which St. Ann's Castle miraculously escaped destruction.

On the north-east, east, and south-ward angles, it shattered the roof in a most terrible manner; it then entered the windows of the next floor, hinged and splintered the window cases, ran through the different rooms, broke through the southern window, which it greatly damaged, took the corner of the shed over the well-room, forced a hole through the arch wall at the top, split the door thereof to pieces, and sunk into the earth by the foundation wall. On the north side, it drove a stone out of the wall near the magazine door, entered just below the lock, struck the plastering off the inward and outward doors and much hinged them, but luckily missed the powder, of which there is a great quantity in the magazine.

William Moore, Esq; his Majesty's Solicitor-General, who was there for the air, and Capt. John Duke, happily escaped unhurt, though both were in imminent danger, the rooms in which they lodged being in one continued blaze of lightning for a considerable time; and had not a heavy rain immediately succeeded the stroke, it is imagined the castle would have been on fire, one of the window cases continuing to smoke near a minute after. In consequence of this accident, a board of the Commissioners of Fortifications met on Wednesday, and, we are informed, gave orders for erecting an electric wire thereon.