448 Danger to Ships from Lightning. 



magazines, because, by a succession of qualifications, some bave been 

 led to conclude, that even although lightning penetrates these buildings, 

 yet it never sets on fire the ammunition they contain. Having shewn 

 how completely untenable such a proposition is, I am free to avow 

 that in certain instances the meteor has presented anomalies which would 

 warrant almost any hypothesis. Thus on the 15th of November 1755, 

 lightning descended near Rouen, upon the powder-magazine of Marom- 

 me, broke one of the rafters of the roof, and shattered to pieces two 

 casks which were full of powder without igniting it. The magazine at 

 the time contained 800 of these casks. Again, at day-light, on the 

 11th of June 1775, the lightning struck the tower of Saint Second at 

 Venice, entered the magazine, threw down the shelves, overturned the 

 powder-casks and, what appeared quite miraculous at the time, set fire 

 to none of it. 



A list of a number of vessels, amounting to forty-two, which have 

 been struck with lightning, has been prepared, and is printed in ano- 

 ther part of this essay. At present we shall only remark that after 

 examining it, it seems quite superfluous to insist upon the utility of 

 the means which have been made available for the protection of ships 

 against these dangers. This list, however, which was prepared with a 

 particular object, contains only a small proportion of the names of the 

 vessels it might have included, if I had enumerated them without 

 a statement of their date and geographical position. Hence, in the 

 very restricted circle of my own information, I might add to the list 

 above alluded to, the following : — 



The (name unknown) an English merchant ship, was struck with lightning in 



the year 1675, near Bermuda. 

 The (idem) a merchant ship, was struck at Bencoolen, in the year 1741. 

 The (idem) a Dutch ship, was completely burned by lightning in 1746, in the 



Roads of Batavia. When the fire reached the powder, the ship blew up. 

 The (idem) a Dutch ship, was struck and much damaged in 1750, near Malacca 

 The Harriet, English packet, in sailing to New York in 1 762. The whole three 



masts were entirely destroyed. 

 La Modeste, French frigate, completely burned, in 1766, from lightning. 

 Captain Cook's vessel, and a Dutch ship, were both struck with lightning in 



Batavia Roads. • 



La Zephir, French frigate, struck at Port-au-Prince, St. Domingo, 23d September 



1772 ; the top-mast was destroyed. 

 La Meitteur Ami, of Bourdeaux, struck, same place, 25th May 1785 ; the mizen 



and two top-masts shattered to pieces. 

 La Prdvost de Lingristin, of Rochelle, struck, same place, 29th July 1785 ; two 



of the top-masts required to be replaced. 

 Le (name unknown), French schooner, struck, same place and day; main-mast 

 destroved. • 



