31 Aug 1857 Awful Thunderstorms in Ireland and loss of life.
Omagh Ireland was visited by fearful thunder-storm on the evening of the 31st ult. Flashes of lightning and claps of thunder followed each other in rapid succession and the rain poured in torrents for about 20 minutes. At Ednafogary within 2 miles of Fintona, Mr. John YOUNG was instantly killed by the electric fluid in his own house. It appears he had been out super-intending his labourers until the rain drove him into the house and when standing at the parlour fireplace, calming the fears of his wife and daughter (who were greatly terrified) he was struck on the forehead by the electric current and fell a corpse into his daughter's arms. A fine boy about 10 years of age, youngest son of Mr. John RUSSELL of Ardstraw Bridge, when driving home some cows, was struck by a flash of lightning and killed on the spot. An elder brother, who was a short distance from him, on seeing him fall, ran up to him, telling him not to be frightened, as the danger was now past, but found on examination that he was quite dead. A woman named DONNELLY of Coash, near Dungannon, was making hay with Alexander GAULT, she left for home about 7 in the evening, but did not return home. Next evening she was found lying dead in a small stream of water, about half-way to her own house. There were no marks on her person and the belief is that she was killed by the lightning, as the storm was raging there at the time. A man was killed near Pomeroy that evening while in bed with his brother, who was not injured; another man was killed at Orritor about the same time; and many animals were killed on the mountains and fields in many parts of the country. In several parts of the county of Donegal the storm was equally severe. Two young men named James GRAHAM and Andrew IRVINE, on their return from the fair of Milford to their residence, near Kilmarcrenan, were instantly killed. Three other persons who accompanied them were prostrated by the shock, but received comparatively little injury. The wife of a farmer, named RAMELTON had accompanied the servant maid to the byre for the purpose of milking the cows, but became so terrified that she returned to the dwelling-house, the girl ridiculing her timidity: the servant, however, within a few minutes after, when coming out of the byre, was struck down and has remained ever since in a state of insensibility. The passengers first-class carriage on the Coleraine Railway had a miraculous escape, a flash of lightning having shattered the windows. transcribed by Teena from Chelmsford Chronicle Fri. 11 Sept. 1857 _______________________________________________ UlsterAncestry@cotyrone.com UlsterAncestry Mailing List Searchable Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/ulsterancestry@cotyrone.com/ http://lists.cotyrone.com/mailman/listinfo/ulsterancestry Website: https://cotyrone.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CoTyroneIrelandGenealogy/
