94 



the slightest trace of any action tending to support this 

 view ; and it is at least equally probable that the stroke 

 fell directly on the top of the iron down-spout at the east 

 end of the church. It is stated that the bell in the tower 

 was heard to ring at the time of the discharge; but the 

 mere passage of the electric fluid down the conductor would 

 not affect the bell, and the concussion of the air from a dis- 

 charge on the top of the conductor would act uj)on the 

 tower in a vertical direction, and would not, therefore, be 

 likely to give the bell a swinging movement. If, however, 

 the discharge was directly on the spout at the east end of 

 the church, then the concussion of the air would act laterally 

 upon the tower in an east and west direction, and, as the 

 bell swings on an axis lying north and south, it is quite 

 conceivable that an oscillating movement might be given to 

 it sufficient to cause it to ring. In either case, however, 

 whether the discharge took place upon the top of the con- 

 ductor or on the top of the down-spout in the vestry, the 

 ultimate results would be precisely the same. Had the 

 conductor been directly connected with the gas main, as 

 suggested by Mr. Wilde, the accident to the church would 

 have been prevented, but not that at the rectory. The 

 practical conclusion, therefore, to be drawn from a consider- 

 ation of all the circumstances of this disastrous occurrence 

 is that, in towns and districts where systems of gas and 

 water mains and pipes exist, all lightning conductors should 

 be directly connected with the mains of both systems. Had 

 this been done at St. Mary's Church no accident would have 

 occurred either to the church or the rectory. 



Mr. Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S., called the attention of the 

 Society to a remarkable group of crystals of calcite and sul- 

 phide of iron surrounding stalactitic bitumen, found at 

 Castleton in Derbyshire, by Rooke Pennington, Esq. The 

 mode of formation was tliis. When the mountain lime- 



