113 
Ordinary Meeting, March 19th, 1878. 
E. W. Binney, F.R.S., F.G.S., President, in the Chair. 
“On a remarkable Flash of Lightning/’ by B. St. J. B. 
Joule, Esq. 
On the evening of the 16th of August last year, a heavy 
thunder-storm took place in this vicinity. It was preceded 
by a fall of the barometer not exceeding -Jo of an inch, the 
wind at 1 o’clock p.m. being west, backing gradually until 
at 9 o’clock p.m. it was south. At the time of the storm to 
which my present observations refer it was south-west, and 
consequently its direction was nearly parallel with the coast 
line. 
I was standing at the shore end of Leicester Street, 
watching the approach of the storm, and observing the pro- 
gress and direction of the more important flashes, when 
about 8 o’clock a vivid flash of lightning fell apparently 
into the channel (the water being not much above low 
water mark of a neap tide) 
about J- of a mile north of the 
end of the pier. In about a 
minute afterwards another fell 
about J of a mile north-east of 
the previous one, and after a 
similar interval a third stream 
of electricity descended about 
another J of a mile in the same 
direction. The first and third 
flashes were of the usual char- 
acter of forked lightning, but 
the second presented an ap- 
pearance which I do not recol- 
lect to have witnessed before. 
From its exit from the clouds 
to its fall into the sea it seemed 
composed of small detached 
fragments which caused it to 
assume the .aspect depicted 
in the margin. 
Proceedings— Lit. & Phil. Soc.— Vol. XVII, — No. 10. — Session 1877-8. 
