TOL. LXH.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 307 



year, viz. in May, and continues growing without interruption ; whereas other 

 oaks shoot twice, namely, in May and August ; but the peculiar and estimable 

 part of its character is, the amazing quickness of its growth, which Mr. H. 

 imagines may be attributed, in some degree at least, to its making but one 

 shoot in the year ; for he believes all trees that shoot twice, are for some time 

 at a stand, before they make the second. Mr. H. took the dimensions of the 

 parent tree, 7 years old, and some of the grafts; the first measured 21 feet high, 

 and full 20 inches in the girt; a graft of 4 years old, l6 feet high, and full 14 

 inches in the girt ; the first he grafted is 6 years old, and has outshot its parent 

 2 feet in height. The parent tree seems to promise its acorns soon, as it blos- 

 soms, and forms its foot-stalk strong, and the cup on the foot-stalk with the 

 appearance of the acorn, which, with a little more age, will swell to perfection. 

 This oak is distinguished, in this country, by the title of the Lucombe oak ; 

 its shoots in general are from 4 to 5 feet every year, so that it will, in 30 or 40 

 years, out grow in altitude and girt the common oak at a hundred. Several 

 gentlemen round this neighbourhood, and in Cornwall and Somersetshire, have 

 planted them, and they are found to flourish in all soils. 



XVII. An Account of the Death of a Person, occasioned by Lightning in the 

 Chapel in Tottenham-Court-Road, and its Effects on the Building; as ob- 

 served by Mr. JVm. Henly, Mr. Edward Nairne, and Mr. fVm. Jones. The 

 Account written by Mr. Henly. Dated March 2A, 1772. p. 131. 



On Sunday last, exactly at 4 o'clock, p.m. part of a building erected by the 

 late Rev. Mr. Whitfield, in Tottenham-court-road, commonly called the chapel 

 or tabernacle, was struck by a flash of lightning. This part was an addition 

 afterwards made to the original structure, but was greatly inferior to it in height. 

 On its summit stood an ornament representing a pine apple carved in wood, 

 which consisted of two pieces; the uppermost being connected with the lower by 

 means of several iron spikes. It was supported by a strong plinth of wood co- 

 vered with lead lapped over the edges and corners of its top, and there secured 

 by large iron nails. This lead work was connected with that which covered the 

 hips, and made a regular communication of metal, to the bottom of the slating, 

 where it united with a leaden gutter which extended quite round the building. 

 In this gutter was erected a small lantern, in which hung the bell of the clock. 

 A little pipe of lead was soldered to, and extended perpendicularly a few inches 

 above the surface of the gutter ; through this pipe went a small iron wire con- 

 sisting of many long links, connected with the tail of the hammer ; passing 

 thence within a few inches of the striking rod of the clock, to which it was tied 

 by a strong hempen string 6 inches or more in length. The lightning first 

 struck the pine apple, the upper part of which it shivered into very small frag- 



rr2 



