ScieMiJic InteUig ence.^^ Astronomy. 1 83 



been discovered to be incapable of producing any of the effects 

 that were attributed to them. Of all these terrors, there only 

 remains, with respect to comets, a possibility so extremely un- 

 certain, that no rational person could conceive any apprehension 

 on the subject. One thing which we must not omit to mention, 

 with respect to comets, is, that the new data obtained respecting 

 their constitution, are of such a nature as to modify, in a great 

 degree, the ideas suggested by the possible occurrence of acci- 

 dents resulting from their striking against the earth. These 

 bodies, in fact, which were supposed to have a density many thou- 

 sands of times greater than the earth, are in general formed of 

 such slight materials that stars of the first and second magnitudes 

 may be seen through them. The rapidity of their motion is 

 another circumstance calculated to afford assurance against the 

 disasters which they might occasion, since there results from it. 

 that the time during which they might act upon us, would ne- 

 cessarily be very short, and would never exceed two or three 

 hours, as Dionis Dusegour, M. D. has demonstrated. F. G. 



METEOROLOGY. 



2. An Account of the Accident to the Packet Ship the New 

 York, from Lightning. By T. Stewart Traill, M. D. of 

 Liverpool. Communicated by Henry Brougham, Esq. M. P. 

 F. R. S *. — The ship which met with the accident, of which 

 the effects are the subject of this communication, was the Ame- 

 rican packet the New York, of ^^^ tons, commanded by Cap- 

 tain Bennet. She sailed from New York for Liverpool, on the 

 16th of last April ; and, on the morning of the 19th, was struck 

 by lightning, which shattered the main royal mast, and, gliding 

 down tlie iron chain main-top-sail tie, burst the iron bands on 

 the mainmast head. It was thence conducted by the iron main- 

 top-sail sheets, to the iron work of the pumps. It then entered 

 between decks, demohshing the bulk heads that formed the 

 store-room, in its way to a small leaden cistern ; whence it was 

 conducted, by a leaden pipe, through the starboard side of the 

 ship, where it started three five-inch planks, ten feet in length, 

 at the lower part of the bends. Many other parts of the ship, 



• The above is a notice of Dr Traill's paper, which will appear in the next 

 volume of the Philosophical Transactions. 



