36 Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



blackened. It was decided, however, that this was not caused by 

 the lightning. It appeared more like a slight natural defect at 

 the core, and was possibly caused by the exposure of the inner 

 wood to the atmosphere, many days having elapsed between the 

 destruction of the tree and the date when these notes were taken. 

 The space that had been formerly occupied by the unfortunate 

 tree formed an open shaft to the sky. The leaves of the adjoining 

 trees, which formed the walls of this shaft, were dead and 

 withered. They displayed a complete fringe of blackened and 

 curled-up foliage. The fact that these leaves were burned in 

 this way, in the face of the apparent entire absence of all traces 

 of fire on the tree which was struck, is rather remarkable. 



