120 Danger to Powder Magazines. 



In the year 1417, lightning set fire to the woodwork which 

 terminated the steeple of St Mark at Venice, and the whole was 

 consumed. This pyramid was reconstructed, but another thunder- 

 storm reduced it to ashes on the 12th of August 1489. On the 

 20th of May 1711, a single thunderbolt not only did very great 

 damage, both to the interior and the exterior of the principal 

 tower of the town of Berne.j but it also devastated nine houses 

 in its immediate neighbourhood. The pyramid of St Mark (on 

 this occasion it was built of stone) received a violent stroke of 

 lightning on the 23d of April 1745. The repairs of the damage 

 cost more than 8000 ducats. On the 27th of July 1759, the 

 lightning burned all the wood-work of the roof of the Cathedral 

 of Strasburg. In the month of October following, this meteor 

 struck the upper part of the magnificent tower of this same 

 town, and so completely divided one of the pillars which sup- 

 ported the lantern, that it was discussed at the time, whether it 

 should be taken down. The reparation of the damage cost 

 more thdiU three hundred tlious and francs . The three strokes 

 of lightning which, in the night from the 25th to the 26tli 

 of April 1760, struck the church of Notre-dame of Ham, led 

 to the burning and complete ruin of this great and beautiful 

 building. 



In speaking of damage, I should not forget that which light- 

 ning sometimes occasions when it strikes poa^c?f:r magazines. On 

 the morning of the 18th of August 1769, lightning fell upon 

 the tower of St Nazaire at Brescia. This tower stood upon a 

 subterranean magazine, which contained 2,076,000 pounds of 

 powder belonging to the Republic of Venice. This immense 

 mass of powder ignited in a moment. The sixth part of the 

 edifices in the great and beautiful town of Brescia were over- 

 turned, and the rest were much shaken and threatened with 

 destruction. Three thousand persons perished. The tower of 

 St Nazaire was projected entire into the air, and fell down again 

 a shower of stones. Fragments of it were found at enormous 

 distances. The destruction of materials was rated at tivo mil- 

 lions of ducats. 



On the 18th of August, lightning set fire to the powder which 

 was at the time in the magazine of Malaga. The building was 

 overturned ; and the whole town would assuredly have shared 



