102 C. W. DAELEY. 



Stroud, about thirty-three miles inland, almost due west. Post- 

 master reports — Heard no thunder about 3 p.m., but from 

 6 to 9 p.m. that evening I heard thunder and saw several 

 flashes of lightning in the east towards Seal Pocks, and it 

 struck me at the time it was a somewhat unusual thing to 

 have storms in July. 



Port Stephens, forty-four miles south. Lighthouse keeper 

 reports — That lightning and thunder were severe for about 

 ten minutes on that day. 



From the foregoing notes it appears the storm was very local,, 

 the centre apparently passing inland over Sugarloaf Point, on 

 which the Seal Rocks Lighthouse is erected. 



Added 3rd September, 1900. — Since the foregoing paper was 

 read, the earth terminal of the lightning conductor has been 

 opened up, and found to be in apparently good order, the sur- 

 rounding soil being damp. The position of the earth plate is 

 shewn on the accompanying drawing [Plate 2). A defective joint 

 has been found in the copper conductor, which escaped notice 

 during the first examination, being situated in the green-light 

 room behind the iron stairs. This was a lap joint, the two parts 

 being held together by a screw passing through into a lead plug 

 in the wall. It now transpires that the screw has been loose for 

 some time, and when painting the walls, which is done almost 

 every second year, the paint got in between the laps of the copper 

 rod and thus broke continuity, causing the electric current to 

 escape and thus do all the damage reported. 



