Deal Walmer and Sandwich Mercury June 1st 1907
Northbourne
Strange Effect of a Lightning Flash
During the thunderstorm last Thursday evening, the school-house and school were struck by lightning. The flash struck and displaced a piece of lead guttering. It then divided; part smashing a hole through the tiles, damaged the bedroom wall and fireplace. Passing through the ceiling it struck the sitting-room knocked a hole in the wall plaster, struck the mirror over the mantel, scorching the backing and wall, and leaving on the glass what appeared to be an enlarged impression of a small vase of flowers which was standing on the corner of the mantelpiece. Several ornaments and pictures were broken, and a marble clock, which was on the mantelpiece, was found on the floor with its works disarranged. The other part of the flash passed along the roof gutter, and crashed through the schoolroom roof splintering one of the large roof rafters, and reaching the ground via the rain-water pipe. Fortunately there was a heavy downpour of rain at the time, otherwise there is every probability that the roof would have caught fire. The buildings and furniture are insured in the Norwich Fire Insurance Society, through Messrs. Harrisson and Baker, Sandwich, the local agent.
Reports in the newspaper say heavy thunderstorms continued throughout the evening of the 23rd and through to Friday morning. They returned on the evening of the 26th, when there was flooding in the streets of Deal and several basements in Walmer were swamped. Damage was recorded in Sholden and Great Mongeham where Mr. C. Solley found 132 of his chickens had drowned. The newspaper also recalled earlier heavy storms, on 4th September 1903 and 5th June 1905.