96 



♦ KNOWLEDGE . 



[Aug. 1, 1884. 



line, probably at some very remote period to this islan d ; 

 and but for the Cornish islands there can be little doubt 

 but that the land's end south would have been furnished 

 by Devonshire. A remarkable feature of Carnarvonshire 

 is the promontory of Llyn, which juts out to sea, and in- 

 cludes many highly picturesque places, like Clynog, which, 

 backed up by mountains, and with its houses half-hidden 

 in refreshing foliage, presents the very perfection of a 

 seaside resort where repose and natural beauties are the 

 main desiderata. The principal town, however, on this 

 remarkable promintory is Pwllheli. Some twenty-four 

 miles away lies the Isle of Bardsey. Some portions of 

 the coast are perpendicular, and others actually overhang- 

 ing, producing a remarkable effect. Immense multitudes 

 of birds build in the crevices of this cliff, and the collec- 

 tion of their eggs is quite a staple occupation. On the 

 south-east Bardsey is accessible. In 1840 the population 

 numbered just 84. It is remarkable that no kind of 

 reptile has ever been seen in Bardsey, which is in Welsh 

 known as the Refuge of the Saints. At the end of the 

 promontory is a bay in which every ship once entering 

 must be inevitably stranded, as, from whatever quarter 

 blows the wind, the current always sets powerfully in- 

 wards, and among seamen on the coast this inhospitable 

 and fatal bay is known vulgarly as Hell's Mouth. 



(To be continued). 



A CATASTROPHE AVERTED BY 

 ELECTRIC WIRES. 



THE Scientific American learns by a letter from Rev. 

 H. C. Hovey, that the new drill hall of the State 

 University, at Minneapolis, was struck by lightning on 

 June 12, with attendant phenomena of interest TTiis 

 buDding, locally known as the Uuiver.-ity Colosseum, stands 

 on a bluff overlooking the Falls of St. Anthony, occupying 

 the highest gi-ound in the city. At 2 p.m. there were 1,000 

 children assembled on the stage, and about .3,000 persons 

 in the audience. A thunder-storm arose, and while the 

 children's choruses were going on, it was noticed that the 

 series of electric lamps, fifteen in number, hanging from the 

 dome, were lighted at each flash of lightning, going out 

 again at once, and there was a sense of uneasiness pervading 

 the people. 



Suddenly there was a loud report, as if of heavy ordnance, 

 balls of fire were distinctly seen through the large skylight, 

 and following the electric wires away from the building. 

 Subsequent examination showed that the lightning first 

 struck the flag-staff surmounting the door, thence pierced 

 an oaken beam to which the staff was fastened, the splinters, 

 or the concussion, breaking the glass in the skylight. An 

 iron rod conducted the fluid to the network of electric wires 

 below, where the charge was divided, a portion being harm- 

 lessly distributed over the general circuit, and the remainder 

 shattering several electric masts near the building. 



A workman on the roof had his shoe torn ofi" and his 

 leg badly burned ; and another person in proximity to one 

 of the masts was temporarily paralysed. There was a 

 panic imminent at first, as every one instinctively sprang 

 to his feet and confused cries and shouts were uttered. 

 Dr. Thomas, with great presence of mind, had his orchestra 

 play, and Herr Scaria came forward and sang. Thus 

 reassured, people either remained to hear the music, or 

 quietly left the hall. 



At night, an immense audience was present at the 

 Colosseum to hear " The Creation," and quietly sat through 

 another thunder-storm, seemingly satisfied that the electric 



wires were good lightning-rods. The lamps, however, 

 worked fitfully, now blazing with startling brilliancy, and 

 then going completely out, leaving the audience in total 

 darkness, and then flashing iip again. Meanwhile the 

 music went on as if nothing unusual had occurred, both 

 soloists and chorus being pertectly familiar with the score ! 



What drew the lightning was the metallic ball surmount- 

 ing the tall flagstaff fifty feet from the wires. The staff 

 and girder to which it was attached were wet, hence be- 

 came conductors, carrying the fluid along to an iron bolt, 

 beside which it pasted through a heavy piece of timber, 

 whence it leaped upon the electric wires, by means of which 

 it escaped from the building. There is not the slightest 

 doubt that the wires performed the duty of lightning-rods 

 in this instance. Nor is there any doubt of the grave 

 error of permitting a vast assembly to be gathered into a 

 lofty, unprotected building on an eminence. The intensity 

 of the current fused the fine wire circuit feeding the 

 lamps, which accounted for the spasmodic working of the 

 lamp.", the wonder being that they should have worked at 

 all after being subjected to such a strain. 



Mr. Noyes, foreman of the Brush Company, tells an 

 interesting experience. He was at work on the wires 

 ) previous to the storm, and kept on after it burst, although 

 aware of his danger. At the moment the building was 

 struck he was splicing the wires directly above the central 

 lamp, meanwhile taking every precaution possible under 

 the circumstances. For a few minutes he lay xinconscious, 

 and then, regaining his senses, descended to the ground. 

 He says that he did not feel any pain until he reached 

 terra Jirma, when he suffered intensely in his right foot. 

 On examination he found that the bolt had struck his leg 

 below the knee, tearing the clothing to shreds, bursting 

 open his stout boot from heel to toe, and blistering the 

 flesh as if with a hot iron. 



Tricycles ix Tictoeia. — The Postmaster-General of Victoria has 

 it is said, decided to make a trial of the tricvcle postal delivery 

 system at Portland, Sale, and Ararat. If the plan should be enc- 

 cessful, he will have it extended to other districts at an early date. 



Electkic Lighting in London. — The Board of Trade have 

 decided to proceed at once to revoke no fewer than twenty-five of 

 the provisional orders which were gmnted by them last year, and 

 subsequently confirmed by Parliament, for the electric lighting of 

 London and its suburbs. Of this number twenty-three are orders 

 which were obtained by the Metropolitan Brush Electric Light and 

 Power Company, which has since gone into liquidation. These 

 orders relate to the electric lighting of Barnes, Mortlake, Ber- 

 mondsey, Chelsea, Chiswick, Clerkenwell, Finchley, Greenwich, 

 Hackney, Holbom, Homsey, Islington, Limehouse, Poplar, Rother- 

 hithe, St. George's-in-the-East, St. George the Martyr, portions of 

 the parish of St. Giles, the parishes of St. Luke's, St. Olave, St. 

 Saviour's, Sonthwark, Shoreditch, Tfhitechapel, and an order known 

 as the Wandsworth order, which, however, relates to portions only of 

 the parish of Clapham. Of the other two orders which will be revoked, 

 one relates to the lighting of Kensington, and the other is an order 

 granted to the Pilsen Joel Electric Lighting Company, with powers 

 to light those portions of the parish of St. Giles not granted to the 

 Metropolitan Brush Company. So far as London is concerned, the 

 result, therefore, of the numerous electric-lighting orders which 

 have been granted dtu-ing the past two years, is that only eight 

 now remain in force — namely, the St. James's and St. Martin's 

 order, which, with the Hanover-square, Strand, and Victoria 

 district orders, are now held by the Edison and Swan United 

 Electric Lighting Company, the Hampstead order, granted to the 

 Hampstead Electric Lighting Company, the St. Paneras order, 

 granted to the Vestry, the order for the lighting of Fulham, which 

 was granted only last May to the West Middlesex Electric Lighting 

 Company, and the order, also granted in May last, to the West 

 London Electric Lighting Company, for lighting portions of the 

 parishes of St. George's, Hanover-square, St. James's, Westminster, 

 and St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Of these eight orders, the first five 

 have already had their time extended within which to comply with 

 the provisions of the orders, and unless these provisions are com- 

 plied with before October 15 next, the powers will be lost, unless & 

 further extension of time is granted. 



