126 
Mr. Snow Harris on Lightning Conductors 
mast upon the metals about the parrel of the top-sail-yard 
at d, where the accumulation became again concentrated, pro- 
ducing a powerful expansion and heating effect so far as the 
lower cap at e ; and thus it passed along per saltum over the 
lower mast m, from one me- — 
tallic mass to another, until 
within a striking distance 5 
of the sea and hull, it di- 
vided upon the hull and sea 
in convenient directions s 
s o, s p>» In this course, as 
indicated by the wavingblack 
line ft, 6, ft, d, &c., it evidently 
sought assistance from all the 
conducting matter it could 
seize upon ; such as the wet 
ropes, the copper funnel for 
top- gall ant rigging at b, the 
iron work and other bodies 
about the topmast cap at c, 
as also the men in the top- 
gallant crosstrees at c. The 
charge evidently divided up- 
on them in proportion to the 
assistance each could afford 
as a small auxiliary circuit. 
as in Exp. 3; the men near- 
est the mast would be ne- 
cessarily in the more direct 
course of the discharge, the 
others would be more or less 
so according to their respect- 
ive positions ; that these 
poor fellows who were killed 
suffered in this way as being — 
conductors to parts of the ' 
charge is evident from the appearance of the bodies. Mr. 
Sturgeon calls especial attention to the circumstance of the , 
men being thrown in opposite directions, and thinks it remark- ! 
able: but how could it be otherwise? the intervening air i 
being caused to expand violently from a central point, would | 
necessarily operate as a central force ; surely there is nothing ■ 
very new in this. About the parrel of the topsail-yard at d, \ 
we should expect again powerful effects ; for here again the * 
charge became concentrated, and set the sail, &c., on fire. 
Ihis is quite in accordance with the known laws of electrical ! 
