596 



NATURE 



[October i6, 1890 



one of the places from which the buzzing sound proceeded 

 it would cease, but would recommence again as soon as 

 he withdrew two or three feet distant. 



It is recorded that the "observer, on placing his hands 

 close over the revolving cups of the anemometer where 

 the electrical excitement was abundant, did not discover 

 the slightest sensation of heat, but his hands instantly 

 became aflame. On raising them and spreading his 

 fingers, each of them became tipped with one or more 

 cones of light nearly three inches in length. The flames 

 issued from his fingers with a rushing noise, similar to 

 that produced by blowing briskly against the end of the 

 finger when placed lightly against the lips, and accom- 

 panied by a crackling sound. There was a feeling as of 

 a current of vapour escaping, with a slight tingling sensa- 

 tion. The wristband of his woollen shirt, as soon as it 

 became dampened, formed a fiery ring around his arm, 

 while his moustache was electrified so as to make a 

 veritable lantern of his face. The phenomenon was 

 preceded by lightning and thunder, and was accompanied 

 by a dense driving snow, and disappeared with the 

 cessation of snow." 



A few instances are given of convulsive muscular 

 contraction caused by discharges. Thus, on June 23, 

 1887, whilst an observer was examining the iron joints 

 around the station, from which the above-described 

 hissing noise was proceeding, a strong electrical mani- 

 festation was felt by a twitching of the muscles of the 

 face and hands. A violent "return shock" was ex- 

 perienced by the observer, who, on June 16, 1876, " whilst 

 sitting on a rock, saw a blinding flash of lightning dart 

 from a cloud seemingly not more than five hundred feet 

 away, and heard a quick deafening report, and at the same 

 time received a shock that jerked his extremities together 

 as though by a most violent convulsion, and left lightning 

 sensations in them for a quarter of an hour afterwards." 



Among other effects previously noticed at considerable 

 elevations above sea-level we find that on one occa- 

 sion an observer felt a pain as if from a slight burn 

 on both temples directly under the brass buttons of 

 his cap ; when he put his hands to the spots, there was 

 a sharp crack, and all pain disappeared. A peculiar 

 burning sensation was also often felt on the face and 

 hands, and the scalp appeared to be pricked with hundreds 

 of red-hot needles. A more intense action is recorded on 

 June 9, 1882, when an observer was "raised off" his feet 

 by the action of the electricity passing through the top of 

 his hat. Instantly snatching the hat from his head, 

 he observed a beam of light as thick as a lead pencil, 

 which seemed to pass through the hat, projecting about 

 an inch on either side and remaining visible for several 

 seconds. The top of his hat was at least two inches from 

 his head when this fiery lance pierced him. . . . He ex- 

 perienced a peculiar burning or stinging sensation of the 

 scalp for several hours afterwards." 



The telegraph wires and the buildings were struck by 

 lightning on several occasions. When a flash struck the 

 telegraph wire on July 19, 1884, for a moment the line 

 resembled a belt of fire, and vibrated violently for some 

 minutes after the discharge. Frequent discharges have 

 also been observed between the ground wire and the 

 rocks on which it rested. 



On August 12, 1879, it is recorded:— "At 5.40 p.m. a bolt 

 of lightning went through the arrester with the report of 

 a rifle, throwing a ball of fire across the room against the 

 stove and tin sheathing. At 6.35 p.m. the lightning struck 

 the wire and building at the north end where the wires 

 come through the window and arrester, with a crash equal 

 to any 40-pounder. It burned every one of the four wires 

 coming in at the window into small pieces, throwing them 

 with great force in every direction, and filled the room 

 with smoke from the burning gutta-percha insulation. 

 The window-sash was splintered on the outside, one pane 

 of glass broken, and another coated with melted copper. 



NO. 1094, VOL. 42] 



The anemometer wires were also burnt up, and the dial 

 burned and blown to pieces." Barometer bulbs were 

 cracked by lightning on August 21, 1881 ; and on August 

 15, 1886, it is recorded : — " Station struck by lightning at 

 6.45 p.m. ; shattered the west window of the dining-room, 

 breaking four panes of glass and shivering the casing, 

 leaving an opening between the casing and the wall ; 

 also slightly damaged the building in several places, and 

 set fire to some articles in the storehouse, and burned 

 several holes in the side of a tin bucket, allowing the water 

 in it to escape." 



Again, on September 7, 1883, we read: — "Lightning 

 struck the anemometer cups, burning a round hole about 

 half an inch in diameter in one of them. The contact spring 

 in the dial was badly bent, and the point of contact was 

 considerably damaged by melting. When the insulated 

 wire passed over a nail in the side of the house, the head 

 of the nail was melted and the wire burnt off". Inside the 

 window, at a bend in the wire, electricity passed off" into 

 the sill, setting some paper on fire. The paper covering 

 the battery box was ignited. Three window lights were 

 broken. A tourist in the dining-room was badly stunned. 

 Observer in passing from dining-room to office was 

 severely stunned by what seemed and felt like a blow on 

 the head. One hand swelled rather badly. The report 

 in the house was double, and sounded like striking red- 

 hot iron upon which cold water had just been thrown." 



Some interesting observations of hail-stones are also 

 given. The stones are said to vary in size from peas to 

 pigeons' eggs, and many of them were conical in shape. 

 Sometimes they consisted of soft white snow throughout, 

 without any nucleus, and at other times they were so hard 

 as to require a heavy blow to break them. When this 

 was the case, the broken hail-stones presented a stratified 

 structure, with a centre of clear ice, and concentric rings 

 of solid and spongy ice, with an outer covering of soft 

 snow. It is noted that in all hail-storms the fall of hail 

 entirely ceased for about half a minute following a heavy 

 electric discharge ; after this interval, however, the fall 

 was considerably heavier than before. 



The following observations, made on October 12, 1877, 

 have an important bearing on the subject of hail forma- 

 tion : — " The rotatory movement of the hail cloud could 

 be plainly seen, and with every violent flash of lightning 

 the passing cloud would grow perceptibly darker, indi- 

 cating increased condensation. The hail formed by this 

 cloud must have fallen about three miles below, for the 

 wood-packers reported quite solid hail at timber line, 

 and none above. This verifies the theory that a hail 

 cloud can be transported laterally several miles while the 

 ice stones are forming." 



The constant crackling of hail when it reaches the 

 earth is also referred to, and rocks are said to give forth 

 a peculiar chattering noise, as if they were shaken by 

 subterranean convulsions, during the occurrence of heavy 

 hail-storms. 



These instances of inductive actions manifested during 

 thunderstorms, electrical discharges, and their relation to 

 hailstorms might be considerably multiplied. They confirm 

 previous observations in an intense manner, and should 

 be of some assistance to the student of meteorological 

 phenomena. R. A. GREGORY. 



NOTES. 

 The ordinary general meeting of the Institution of Me- 

 chanical Engineers will be held on Wednesday evening, 

 October 29, and Thursday evening, October 30, at 25 Great 

 George Street, Westminster, by permission of the Council of 

 the Institution of Civil Engineers. The chair will be taken at 

 half-past seven p.m. on each evening, by the President, Mr, 

 Joseph Tomlinson. The following papers will be read and dis- 

 cussed, as far as time permits :— On tube-frame goods waggons 



