568 
SECOND REPORT- 1882 . 
permanent magnetism, with sensible polarity. Table knives 
and forks were capable of lifting needles or small nails, and one 
knife sustained a travelling-trunk key. Most of the watches on 
board suffered by the magnetic influence, especially those which 
were under the pillows of their owners in bed. These were all 
stopped, and on examination were found so highly magnetic, 
that portions of the steel-work were capable of suspension by 
each other, in a chain of three or four pieces. Of one of these 
pieces (the cap-spring) Mr. Scoresby made a pocket-compass, 
which was exhibited when his communication to the Associa¬ 
tion was made, and was observed to be, in all respects, a deli¬ 
cate and perfect instrument. 
In the discussion which followed the reading of this paper, 
Mr. Snow Harris stated the following facts to illustrate the 
effect of Lightning Conductors. 
In January 1814, H.M. ship Melford was struck, in Hamoaze 
at Plymouth, by lightning, which rent the mast. This ship had 
not a lightning conductor up at the time, but several other ships 
close by had lightning conductors ;—these were not assailed by 
the electric explosion. There was likewise a powder magazine 
not above a quarter of a mile distant, armed with pointed iron 
rods;—this also escaped. 
H.M. ship Norge was severely damaged by lightning, in 
June 1815, in Port Royal Harbour, Jamaica. Several other 
ships were near which had lightning conductors ; but the 
Norge, with the exception of a merchant-ship, was the only 
one struck and damaged ; and it is not a little remarkable, that 
the merchant-vessel and the Norge were the only ships not 
having lightning conductors. 
In the case of the Heckingham poor-house damaged by light¬ 
ning, an account of which may be seen in the Philosophical 
Transactions , the electric matter fell on the building, at a point 
furthest removed from the conductors with which the building 
was furnished. 
In the 14th volume of the Philosophical Transactions an in¬ 
stance is given in which a long building was struck at one end , 
a lightning conductor being fixed at the other. 
Mr. Harris observed, that whenever we erect an artificial 
elevation on the earth’s surface, we do in fact set up a lightning 
conductor, upon which the electricity of the atmosphere will 
certainly fall, when it happens to lie in the course of the dis¬ 
charge ; and no human power can prevent it. Hence, if me¬ 
tallic bodies be prominent, those will be first assailed ; if not, 
then the bodies next in conducting power. A curious illus¬ 
tration of this, out of many which might be given, is to be found 
