14 THE LATE MR. WILLIAM STURGEON ON 



the mast head, trucks, and caps, and lead down the back-stays 

 through the channels, and are attached to a copper plate 

 secured under the ship's copper." * 



81. The principal defect in the present fashion of the wire- 

 rope is the diminutive size of its strands, which are easily- 

 fused individually, on that side especially which receives the 

 lightning stroke; and if the discharge be very formidable, 

 the whole of the strands might be blown to atoms, or torn 

 asunder at the point which received it. Such seems to have 

 been the case with the conductor of the Hazard* for on one 

 of the occasions when the ship was struck by lightning, it 

 " carried away the conductor at main-topgallant-head." f The 

 wire-rope at present in use, besides the defects already pointed 

 out, is twisted a great deal too much, for it requires a greater 

 length for the strands than there is need for, and the more 

 compact they are laid together (for they can never form one 

 solid body) the more subject they are to be blown asunder by 

 lightning. The only object for having wire-rope is to main- 

 tain pliability, which is attainable to any required extent for 

 marine conductors, by the employment of thicker strands, 

 which would be easier laid or twisted together. 



82. But as oblique discharges of lightning frequently strike 

 conductors below the mast-head, wire-rope will always be 

 liable to damage under these circumstances, because some of 

 its strands are almost sure to suffer by every formidable dis- 

 charge. The only danger, however, would be at the point 

 of attack, which is more likely to be sustained by moderately 

 thick wires than by thin ones ; but, in all cases, both sides 

 of the rigging ought to be protected (76), and the conductor 

 on each mast ought to be metallically connected at the cross- 

 trees and at the tops, as well as at the topgallant-mast-heads. 

 By these means, oblique flashes of lightning, from whatever 



* Return, &c, prepared in compliance with a precept of the House of Lords 

 Dated 1 8th June, 1849. 



t Ibid. 



