10 THE LATE ME. WILLIAM STURGEON ON 



as on the mast above, for nothing less than a high degree of 

 temperature, occasioned by an explosion, could blacken the 

 metal at the junction of the iron knees with the branch con- 

 ductors. And this view is still further supported by a letter 

 (from an officer belonging to the ship) that appeared in the 

 London Illustrated News for March, 1847, in which it is 

 stated, that " on reaching the lower deck the discharge took 

 the branches under the beams leading to the bands on the 

 ship's sides ; these were started at the ends in contact with 

 the copper bolts leading to the sea, and the copper sheet 

 covering the joint was bulged upwards by the expansive 

 force of the shock." 



72. Nor is this a solitary case of explosions occurring 

 below deck, by lightning traversing the branch conductors. 

 In the case of H. M. ship Constance, already alluded to (67), 

 it is officially reported, that besides the injury the conductor 

 received on the mast, the lightning slightly tore "away 

 part of the casing which covered the branch conductor in 

 the boatswain's cabin, close to the side where it escaped." * 

 H. M. ship Fox, 44 guns, was struck by lightning April 5 th, 

 1847. " Lightning passed down the chain conductor, passing 

 visibly through midshipmen 1 s berth and Commodore Steward's 

 berth, and leaving a burnt mark."] H. M. ship Conway, 26 

 guns, was struck by lightning March 9th, 1846. The elec- 

 tric fluid " traversed the branch or beam in the gunner's cabin, 

 who experienced no ill-effect ; he saw it pass from the ship in 

 a blaze of light. Mr. Lethbridge, officer of the watch, then 

 on deck, describes the effect as if one or two of the main- 

 deck guns had been fired up the hatchway T % 



73. The effects thus described to have taken place below 

 deck (67 — 70), are of a similar character to those observed on 

 the masts above deck ; and from the same cause, viz., a want 



* Official Return, prepared in compliance with a precept of the House of 

 Lords. Dated 11th June, 1849. 



t Ibid. \ Ibid. 



