

43 



ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY. 



I had an opportunity .of observing in our line the effects 

 of the thunder showers of the 21st of May. Being alone, I 

 could not pay that attention to the several phenomena 

 which I desired. \VeJiad a very sensitive compass which 

 we used as a galvanometer. The oscillations of the needle 

 were followed by a report of distant thunder. As the 

 shower was fifteen or twenty miles distant, several seconds 

 elapsed between the deviation of the needle and the re- 

 port. The instruments were not "cut out" at first so that I 

 obtained simultaneously with the oscillation of the needle, 

 the click of the armature. I could now time the oscilla- 

 tions of the barometer. These I found to correspond to 

 the oscillations of the needle in time and amount with the 

 intensity of the current. I did not continue these experi- 

 ments long from fear of injury to the instrument, and 

 possibly injury to myself. 



The next day there was a succession of showers, with 

 one at noon on the summit continuing an hour, during 

 which time the depot was struck five times. Early in the 

 morning, I had taken tiie precaution to connect the rails by 

 an iron bar. and this I think saved the building from dam- 

 age. It is'said that, since the road was completed, scarcely 

 a day passes, when there are not electrical discharges 

 on the mountain, but that many of these seek the track, as 

 the best conductor, following it to some point near the 

 river at the terminus. In view of the terrible results 

 attending mountain thunder storms, to those so unfortu- 

 nate as to encounter them, of which we have accounts of 

 large parties perishing together by a single discharge of 

 electric fire, we might be surprised to learn that no harm 

 was ever done buildings or persons on Mount Washington, 

 although the hotel has more than once been struck. Is 



