DAMAGE CAUSED BY LIGHTNING TO SEAL ROCKS LIGHTHOUSE. 99 



or green-light floor. These bell wires which lead from the lamp 

 rooDi to the principal and assistant keepers' quarters are laid 

 underground within 1 in. galvanised iron gas pipe for a distance of 

 about 300 ft. The current apparently tried to make earth at three 

 places, for the pipe was burst out and the sockets split, the earth 

 overlying the pipe at these places being blown away. At the 

 houses the wires lead up verandah posts within a wood casing 

 which was torn off and split into fragments. A sheet iron covering 

 where the wires entered the houses was blown off, and in one case 

 with such force that it cut a passage for itself through the top of 

 a paling fence six feet away. Some stone flags on the verandah 

 round the post were displaced, and generally there were many 

 indications of the efforts of the lightning to make earth. 



To return to the lighthouse. The iron flooring, ceiling, and 

 staircase of lantern must have been thoroughly charged, as numer. 

 ous spots appear where the paint has been blown off, varying in 

 size from about J to 1 in. diameter, the bare iron underneath being 

 fused and in some cases pitted, the iron ceiling underneath this 

 floor is fastened to the iron girders with iron set screws, and the 

 heads of eight of these screws have been blown off. The battery 

 for the electric bells (which stood on top of the lobby framing at 

 entrance to the green light room) was destroyed and the wires 

 leading downwards through the store room below have disappeared, 

 one side of the lobby framing was shattered and the entire framing 

 was wrenched away from its fastenings and moved some 4 in. out 

 of place, the waiting desk which was fixed on two iron brackets 

 against the side of lobby was broken up as also was one of the 

 iron brackets, the ink pot which stood on the desk was driven 

 with such force against the reflector of the green light on the other 

 side of the room, as to dent the reflector, but not to seriously 

 damage it ; the clock was destroyed ; the glass in all the windows 

 of this room was blown out, and four panes of glass in the main 

 lantern were badly fractured. No injury was done to the dioptric 

 apparatus or lamps of either the main light or the green light, and 

 both remain in good working order. A copper screw which held 



