106 GREAT THUNDERSTORMS. 



Concorde, burst in the Jardin des Tuileries, where it tore 

 up three of the largest chestnut trees in the grounds, and 

 did serious damage to many other trees. While the storm 

 was at its height, a thunderbolt fell upon the Esplanade des 

 Invalides, but nobody was injured."* 



The prevalence of electrical phenomena, concurrently 

 with these waterspouts, deserves special notice ; though 

 we fear it would be rash to hazard an opinion as to 

 how far the atmospheric disturbances may be influenced 

 by them but that they exercise material effect is a 

 fact that can hardly be doubtful. 



In the British Islands we can form literally no idea 

 of the terrific nature of the thunderstorms which take 

 place in some parts of the world: although we occa- 

 sionally do have what in England we regard as severe 

 storms of this nature, during which accidents sometimes 

 happen both to man and beast also to buildings, by 

 being struck by the electric fluid. Fortunately, how- 

 ever, these occurrences are comparatively rare. Both 

 in number and severity they are as nothing compared 

 with the frequent accidents of this kind which occur 

 abroad; where the electricity seems to run along 

 the ground and plays all sorts of curious pranks. We 

 have seen thunderstorms, for instance, where for some 

 hours the roll of thunder has been almost continuous, 

 and blinding flashes of lightning have followed each 

 other in rapid succession, almost the whole time. The 

 thunder on such occasions really resembles the discharge 

 of heavy artillery; and at the crisis of the storm, 

 when it is exactly overhead, the claps follow instan- 

 taneously upon the flash, with an explosion which 



* Morning Post of May 23rd 1891, "From our own Correspondent, 

 Paris, May 22." (N.B. Similar paragraphs appeared in all the London 

 papers). 



