New Hampshire Statesman And State Journal

Dr. Antommarchi, gives the following account of a recent storm, during which the lightning entered the house in which he was:

I was at breakfast with my father and family, and a numerous party of friends, at the little village of Santi, when the lightning entered the room where we were sitting. One branch of the electric fluid made its way through the wall immediately above me, at about a foot from my head, without touching me, but struck Mademoiselle Blassini, a young lady seated on my right hand, and killed her. The right side of her head and her ear were burnt, and her hair was set on fire. The lightning descended by the neck, the breast, the body, and leg, on the same side, leaving traces of its passage by severe excoriations.

M. Stel, a young Abbe, who sat next to the young lady, was also struck by the same current, which passed from the silk dress and apron of the young lady to his left knee, scorching his leg from top to bottom, leaving a severe bruise on the top of the foot and two of the toes. His shoe was forced off, and torn into pieces.

My eldest sister also received the shock, but it only carried away her shoe and a piece of her stocking, without touching the skin. All the other persons were more or less affected, and we were all thrown down.

The bronze mask of the Emperor, which was suspended between two openings made in the wall by the lightning, was untouched. In my bed chamber the fluid attacked one of the four gilt ornaments of an iron bedstead, and broke it into small pieces. The three others were damaged, but not so much. Plates, glasses, and other things were broken. A dog was killed at my foot. The servants were thrown and scattered in all directions, but none of them were injured.

The damage done, presented a frightful scene of desolation. The phenomenon, which is extremely rare in this commune, spread terror throughout Cape Corte.