Danger to Ships from Lightning, 123 



The Dosdalus, British frigate, at Jamaica, in 1809 ; some of the crew 



struck down, the lightning fired the powder. 

 The HehCj British frigate, at Jamaica, in 1809 ; one of the masts destroyed. 

 The (name unknown), British schooner, Jamaica, in 1809 ; sunk by the 



same thunder-bolt as the two last. 

 The Glory, British ship-of-the-line, off Cape Finisterre, 1811 ; had all its 



masts cleft. 

 The Norge, British ship-of-war, and a merchant vessel, Jamaica, June 



1813 ; the Norge was dismasted. 

 The Palrria, British frigate. Harbour of Carthagena, S. A., in 1814; one 



of its masts destroyed. 

 The Medusa, British brig, in its voyage from Guayra to Liverpool. 

 The Amphion, American vessel, sailing from New York to Rio Janeiro, 



21st September 1822; much damaged, all its compasses destroyed. 

 The J^essg, of London, abandoned in 46° N. L. and 16° W. L., in Novem- 

 ber 1833, from the injury by lightning. 

 The Carron, British steamer, in passage from Greece to Malta, struck in 



1834. 



In running over such catalogues as these with attention, it is 

 remarkable, and such statements are truly striking, that in fifteen 

 months of the years 1829 and 1830, there were in the Mediter- 

 ranean alone, five ships of the British Royal Navy struck with 

 lightning. These were the Mosqttito of 10 gims, the Madagas- 

 car of 50, and the Ocean, Melville, and Gloucester ships-of-the- 

 line. All these vessels suffered considerably in the rigging. I 

 will add, for the benefit of those who imagine that the damage 

 arising from lightning is of small importance as a pecuniary- 

 matter, that a large lower mast of a frigate costs about L.200, 

 and the great lower mast of a ship-of-the-line costs as much as 

 L.400. 



To all these authentic examples of the effects of lightning it 

 must be added, that the British ship Resistance of 44 guns, 

 and the Lynx^ completely disappeared during a severe thunder- 

 storm, in a convoy of which they formed a part ; that the ship 

 Yorh of 64 guns, which was never heard of after its entrance 

 into the Mediterranean, was probably blown up or sunk by this 

 same meteor ; and that the instances of burnings in the preced- 

 ing list, are by no means the only ones which might be enu- 

 merated. Thus, for example, the Logan of New York, of 

 420 tons and of L.20,000 value, was entirely consumed ; the 

 Hannibal of Boston shared the same fate in 1824. Moreover, 



