Philada. Thursday July 12. 1753
On Sunday last, about 45 Minutes after 3 in the Morning, a
Dwelling House, one of a continued Row on the West Side of
Second-Street in this Town, was struck by Lightning, but, being at
that Time untenanted, no Person was hurt. About 6 aClock the same
Morning, I went to take a View thereof, and at that Time made some
Notes of the Course which I observ’d the Lightning to have
taken in its Passage, and also of some of its Effects on the
House, which then appear’d to me not unworthy of Notice.
The Lightning, or Matter thereof, (supposing it
to have enter’d at the Top of the House, as is the general receiv’d
Opinion), first struck the South East Corner of the Easter-most
Chimney; from which Place it can be trac’d downwards, by Cracks and
other Marks on the South Side of the said Chimney, in a Diagonal
Line, to the Bottom of a Kind of Bulk-Head, or Place rais’d above
the Roof, to go out on the Top of the House, and reaching from one
Chimney to the other; that it then appears to have gone up the E.
Side of the Roof, near the Edge of the S. Side of the Bulk-head, to
the Ridge, and from thence descended the W. Side of the Roof, by
the like Way, to the Bulk-head Door, which it split, and melted
Part of an Iron Staple on the Inside of the Westermost Side of the
Door Frame; that from thence its Course was continu’d down the W.
Side of the Roof, by the S. Side of the Western Chimney, till it
came to a Place where the Roof bent or slaunted downwards, along
the Ridge of which Bent it turn’d and pass’d Southward to a Dormer
Window, flat on the Top, and which projected about 3 Feet from the
Roof, where again it turned, and by the upper and N. Side of the
Dormer proceeded W. to the further End; that from thence it was
conducted downwards by the Leads and Window-frame on the N. Side of
the said Window to a kind of Pent-House, about 2 feet wide, the
wooden Moulding on the under Side of which was much shatter’d, and
a round Hole made therein, as if done by a Bullet fir’d from a
common Swivel Gun; that its Course was then down to the Northermost
Window of the 2d Story, where it diffus’d itself amongst the Leads,
and went out at the Iron Window Hook, that hung down from the
Southermost Side of the said Window, about a Foot below the Point
of which it made a considerable Breach in the Wall, and drove the
Plaistering on the Inside, to the opposite Side of the Roof that
from thence it made a small crack in the Wall down to a Ledge (or
single Row of Bricks projecting about 3 Inches from the Wall, which
the Bricklayers term a Water Table or Water Fall) about mid-way
between the Windows of the 1st and 2d Story, and from there
plowing, or scooping, as it were, the outside of the Wall all the
Way down to the upper and Southermost Part of the Northermost
Window of the 2d Story, which it entirely drove into the Room; that
the Lightning then diffus’d itself in the Leads, and descended by
them to the Northermost Window Hook, from the Point of which it
jump’d to the Upper and Eastermost Corner of a Window over the Door
of a Kitchen adjoining to the Northermost Side of the back Part of
the House, and fronting the South; that from thence it was
conducted by Leads to the lower and Westermost Corner of said
Window, from which Place it again jump’d across to the Kitching
Window, at the Distance of about 2 Feet, making all the Way a
Hollow in the Brick Wall between, as if done by a large Iron Scoop;
that in this last Window it divided itself very much, as might be
seen by the Leads, which were in most Places melted; that from
hence no Traces of it appear, except just at the Points of the Iron
Hooks, fix’d to each Side of the Window-Frames, which were about 2
Feet from the Ground; to where, it might have been conducted by the
Moisture on the Walls, which was very considerable, there having a
great Quantity of Rain fell the Night before.
1. That the large black cloud, from whence the
Fire is generally thought to have issued, came from the South West,
yet the Chimney on the back Part or W. Side of the House, tho’
equal in Heighth to that on the Front or East Side, and but about 9
Feet Distance, was not at all affected, its first Appearance
upwards, as mention’d before, being on the S.E. Corner of the
Eastermost Chimney.
2. That the under Part of one of the Bricks in
a small Ledge that went round the Chimney, about a Foot from the
Top, had a Piece knock’d out of it, as if done by a Blow of a
Hammer, or some other Force from underneath; the Bottom of the
Fracture being the whole Breadth of the Ledge, and the upper Part
terminating to a sharp Edge; as is represented in the Margin; the
upper Side of the Ledge was no otherways hurt than but by a small
Crack proceeding from the Fracture underneath; and the Lightning
appears, as if by the Resistance it met with from the Ledge, to
have been forc’d into the Chimney, thro’ the Mortar between the
Ledge and the Brick underneath.
3. That the East Side of the Roof, up which the
Fire must have pass’d, supposing it to have enter’d from above, was
noways damag’d, except just at the Ridge, where the thin
Edge of the Shingles appear’d to have been thrown up by it; but the
thick End of the Shingles lay perfectly close from the
Bottom of the Eastermost Chimney to the Ridge, as did all those on
the E. Side of the Roof.
4. That on the West Side of the Roof, quite
from the extreme End of the Dormer Window to the Ridge, in the
Track before described, the thick Ends of the Shingles are
all thrown upwards, as if done by some Instrument forc’d underneath
them.
5. That the Splinters near the Hole in the
wooden Moulding of the under Part of the Pent-House, before
described, were all drove upwards, as if occasion’d by a Bullet
being shot against it from below.
6. That several of the upright Parts of the
Window Frames were, in many Places, much shattered; and all the
Pieces that were split or torn off from them, were broadest at the
Bottom, and terminating almost to a Point at the Top; whereas the
contrary might have been expected to have happen’d, if the Force
which split them came from above.
7. That the under Side of the Ledge or
Water-Table, between the 1st and 2d Storys, was considerably more
damag’d than the upper, and a Piece drove out of it, as in the
Ledge near the Top of the Chimney.
8. That the Lightning went considerably out of
its nearest Way, (supposing it to have proceeded either from above
or below) for the Sake of the Leads of the Windows, and Iron Hooks,
Staples &c. of the Window-Frames; which were all much melted
and stain’d thereby. Several Panes of Glass were also a little
melted, and appear’d somewhat colour’d, round the Edges, near where
the Leads surrounded it and those Parts of the Leads being thin,
and not sufficient to conduct the whole of the Flash, were melted;
but the thick Parts of the Leads, (which separate the Panes from
each other) conducted it freely, and without being the least
damag’d.