reach (?)

[Garson O'Toole]

In the following version the word is "Porch". I have no idea where
lighthousefriends.com found this text. They may have modified the text
given by George since they say it is from the "New York Mercury":

The tall lighthouse on the low-lying sandy spit was easily seen by
mariners, but being the only structure of any height for several
miles, it apparently was also susceptible to lightning strikes. In
June of 1766, the New York Mercury reported:

The 26th Instant, the Lighthouse at Sandy Hook was struck by
Lightning, and twenty panes of the Glass Lanthorn broke to pieces; the
chimney and Porch belonging to the kitchen was broken down, and some
people that were in the House received a little Hurt, but are since
recovered. ‘Tis said the Gust was attended with a heavy shower of
Hail.

http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=378


On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 6:57 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: reach (?)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I see that the Newport Mercury of July 7 and the Georgia Gazette of
> Aug. 6 of the same year of 1766 have the same story -- and quite
> clearly reproduce the "peach"!  *They* must have known ... or both
> had particularly robotic typesetters.
>
> Perhaps "peak"?  "The kitchen chimneys pass up through the peaks of
> their respective roofs ..."  From The Western literary messsenger
> ..., 1853, vols. 20-21, page 137, in an article titled "Design for a
> Farm House".  [GB, Full view.]  Perhaps the light house had a kitchen
> shed with a peaked roof (and a kitchen would need a chimney), and the
> chimney and kitchen were a high point on the light house, so
> susceptible to a lightning strike?
>
> Joel
>
> At 11/4/2010 05:24 PM, George Thompson wrote:
>>I don't see anything in OED that explains this:
>>
>>         The 26th Instant, the Light House at Sandy-Hook was struck
>> by Lightning, and twenty Panes of the Glass Lanthorn broke to
>> Pieces; the Chimney and Peach [sic] belonging to the Kitchen, was
>> broke down, and some People that were in the House received a
>> little Hurt, but are since recovered.  'Tis said the Gust was
>> attended with a heavy Shower of Hail.
>>         New-York Mercury, June 30, 1766, p. 2, col. 3
>>
>>GAT
>>
>>George A. Thompson
>>Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre",
>>Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
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>
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>

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