AKi> LIGHTNING CONDUCTOKP. 



m 



lightning on the clock tower of Osborne Palace, to the forest 

 of pointed conductors in its vicinity. Those conductors, as 

 well as the fine tall trees that are about the building, will 

 always be the means of giving a tendency to their locality 

 for the reception of discharges of lightning ; and that ten- 

 dency will necessarily be increased in some proportion with 

 the number and altitude of pointed conductors on or about 

 the building. Such at least appears to be the natural in- 

 ferences derivable from an association of the well-established 

 influence of pointed conducting bodies, with many observed 

 circumstances attending discharges of lightning. 



18. Damage by lightning in the vicinity of pointed con- 

 ductors at sea, is no less remarkable nor less frequent than on 

 shore. There are many striking instances of this kind on 

 record, some of which afford lessons of no ordinary import. 



19. Case E.— In January 1824, H. M. ship Milford, 74 

 guns, was struck by lightning within the distance of 80 

 fathoms from the Culedonia, of 120 gims, and several 

 other ships close at hand, all of which had pointed con- 

 ductors up at the time. A powder magazine on shore, at 

 no great distance, had also a conductor attached to it ; and 

 the report says, that this conductor was in the direction 

 from which the thunder-gust proceeded. 



In this case the damaged ship was lying in ordinary, 

 without conductors, in Plymouth harbour. 'Die Caledonia 

 had a conductor at each mast ; but neither that ship, nor 

 any others which had their conductors in place, received 

 any portion of the lightning.* 



20. Case F. — H. M. ship Phaeton, 46 guns, whilst in 

 Gibraltar Bay, in the year 1824, was much damaged by 

 lightning, at a cable's length from the Warrior^ the latter 

 having pointed conductors up at the time.f 



21. Case G. — H. M. ship Pelican, 18 guns, was struck and 



* Nautical Magazine — Harris on Thander Storms. f Ibid. 



