67G 
descended in torrents. After the lapse of a few minutes, 
thunder and lightning commenced, and flash followed flash 
in quick succession. During most of the storm the discharge 
took place so near that no perceptible interval elapsed 
between the flash and the report. Until my attention was 
wholly engrossed by the hail, I attempted to ascertain the 
time intervening between the flash and the report, but they 
were so nearly simultaneous that it was impossible to mark 
an interval. Each electric discharge was accompanied by 
a peculiar vibratory motion, which appeared to cause the 
shed in which I was sheltering to tremble and to emit a 
sharp ringing noise that does not admit of description, but 
which, when heard, cannot be forgotten. I never heard a 
similar noise during a storm but once, on which occasion 
great damage was done, and a woman was killed in her 
cellar about a hundred yards from the building in which I 
was when that storm took place. Upon both occasions the 
electric discharge caused the same vibratory motion, and 
the same sharp ringing noise, distinctly audible amid 
the thunder crash. This peculiar ring probably arises 
from motion amongst the materials of the building caused 
by the electric discharge, but how the motion is commu- 
nicated is not easily explained. 
With the fourth or fifth flash of lightning fell hailstones 
which averaged from half to three-quarters of an inch in 
diameter. These hailstones accompanied every flash which 
appeared to come from the zenith to the place where I was 
standing, but as soon as the storm had passed away so far 
that the interval between the flash and the report was 
appreciable, the hail either did not reach us, or but a very 
few hailstones fell mingled with heavy rain. Between the 
flashes rain only fell. With the flash came a volley of 
hailstones. Gradually a few drops of rain would mingle 
with the hail until at length rain only was falling. The 
