SOME PECULIARITIES OF A THUNDERSTORM. 25 



holding the base q{ an electroscope in the hand, and elevating 

 it in the air above the head during a thunderstorm ; every 

 flash of lightning will produce a sudden divergency of the 

 gold leaves. When the lightning is near, the disturbance is 

 too powerful for a delicate electroscope to withstand. 



Ou the day following that of the storm, I had information 

 of a cotton mill being set on fire by the lightning, at Bolton. 

 I immediately proceeded to the place, for the purpose of ex- 

 amining the effects of the lightning on the mill, which I 

 found to belong to Messrs. Boiling and Co., and situated in 

 Bradshaw-gate. By the kindness of the foreman I soon 

 gained admittance, and had every attention paid to my in- 

 quiries. I was shown that part of the machinery which had 

 been on fire, but no indication could be found of lightning 

 having entered the building. 



The damage was very trifling, being limited to a carding 

 machine and a few boards of the floor above, which were 

 charred by the fire. This limitation of the damage, how- 

 ever, was owing to an incidental circumstance which fortu- 

 nately occurred, otherwise it is probable that the whole of 

 the premises would have been destroyed. 



The rule observed at the mills is to turn off the steam -power 

 at half-past five daily, and the people leave the place at six. 

 On this occasion, however, the rain was so unusually heavy, 

 and the lightning and thunder so terrific at six o'clock, that 

 no one would venture out. Shortly after six, a terrific flash 

 of lightning took place, attended by a crash of thunder ; and 

 immediately an alarm was given that the mill was on fire. 

 Water buckets were immediately served out, and all who 

 could assist were employed in extinguishing the fire, which 

 was accomplished within a few minutes, and before it had 

 time to spread far from where it began. 



The very natural conclusion was that the mill had been 

 struck by the lightning, though no breach could be discovered 

 in the roof or walls, nor was a pane of glass disturbed. I 



