Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 054.pdf/270

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thrown off. This pilaster is much injured, but the story in general has suffered less than the Composite, and that chiefly where the irons are inserted; the upper Tuscan less than that, and the lower Tuscan but little, except in the North East pier, which is considerably cracked and shaken; as if in its passage part of the force of the lightning was spent in these explosions, and part absorbed and conducted by the masses of stone. The damage done to the steeple is, except near the top, confined almost to the East and North East side, and most generally where the ends of the iron bars have been inserted into the stone or placed under it; and in some places, by its violence in the stone, its passage may be traced from one iron bar to another. And it is very remarkable, that, to lessen the quantity of stone in this beautiful steeple, in several parts, cramps of iron have been employed; and upon these, stones of no great thickness have been placed, both by way of ornament and to cover the cramped joint. In several places, these square stones have, on account of their covering the iron, been quite blown off, and thrown away. A great number of stones, some of them large ones, were thrown from the steeple, three of which fell upon the roof of the church, and did great damage to it; and one of these broke through the large timbers, which form it, and lodged in the gallery.

In the tower of the steeple, in the room where the bells are placed, the lightning took the South-west window above the bells and close to the window, not far from an iron bar, which goes round, and rent out several large stones; some of which fell into the bell, which was very near this part of the steeple,

and