The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-01 00:00:00

SHIPS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

One of the most extraordinary instances of the
dangers which threaten ships from this terrible ele-
ment, and one also which affords certain proof of
the completeness with which the recent discoveries
of practical science enable us to ward off its destruc-
tive effects, occurred recently to H.M.S. Shannon,
50, in her voyage out from this country to China.
This fine frigate, under the command of Captaii,
(
now Sir Wm. Peel, was ordered out in the spring
of last year to join the force in China. It appears
from the ship's log, Which has only just reached the
Admiralty, that during the voyage out, and when
about 90 miles to the south-west of Java, the ves-
sel became completely enveloped in one of those
terrific thunderstorms so prevalent in those lati.
tudes, and which in former years have frequently
caused so much destruction to our ships in travers-
ing the Indian Ocean. The log describes the
approach of the storm at 4.50 p.m. in the shape of
streams of the most vivid lightning, with deafen-
ing thunder, rain and hail, the ship being driven
.before the storm, with remarkably high seas, which
threatened to poop her. At 5 p.m. what appeared
to be an immense ball of fire covered the main-top-
gallant mast, whence it seemed to run up the royal
pole and explode into the air with a most terrifio
concussion, covering all the surrounding space with
bright sparks of electrical light, which seemed to
be driven rapidly to leeward by the wind. At 5.15
the ship was struck a second time on the mainmast
by an apparently immense mass of lightning, and
the foretopsail was lowered before the violent gust
of wind with which this second shock was attended.
At 5.30 another very heavy discharge of lightning
fell on the mainmast, and from this till 6 p.m. the
ship was completely enveloped in sharp forked
lightning, accompanied with incessantpeals of thun-
der, At 8.10 they sheeted home the maintopsail,
and at 9.30 set the foresail ; a confused sea with
long heavy rollers from the W.N. W., followed this
terrible display of atmospheric electricity. On the
next day the ship's course was altered, and the masts
and rigging carefully overhauled, but no injury was
found to have been sustained to either, nor do any
of the men either below or aloft appear to have
been hurt in the least. The permanent system of
fixed lightning conductors, invented by Sir Snows
Harris and now universallyemployed in her Majesty's
ships, most effectually protected both ship and
crew. In looking back upon the journals of the
Royal Navy, we find an almost similar instance of
a frigate being struck three times by lightning
under the head of "Remark-s on board his Ma-
jesty's frigate Lowestoffe, March 8, 1796, Minorca
distant 5 deg. W. 134 miles." In this case we find
that the Lowestoffe also got involved in a thunder-
storm, and at 12.25 p.m. a heavy flash of lightning
struck the ship, knocking three men out of the tops,
one of whom was struck dead on the spot. Withal
fire minutes afterwards the ship was again struck
by a heavy flash, which shivered maintopmast to •
splinters, and in a minute or two more a still more
heavy discharge fell upon her. This third shock
shivered the foretopmast in pieces—the mainmast
to the deck, set fire to the ship in zany parts of
the masts and rigging, carried away the foretopsail.
yard, struck ono man dead, and knocked several
others, who had most imprudently been sent aloft,
out of the tops. The same discharge passed along
between decks, knocking down many of the sailors,
whom it paralyzed or burnt severely. About half
an hour after this they were obliged to cut away
the mainmast, and, crippled and disabled in the
other parts of their rigging, make the best of their
way to Minorca. What a contrast is presented
by this accident compared with that which hap-
pened to the Shannon the other day ! It is always
gratifying to record the triumphs of practical
science in succouring the feeble powers of mail
amid such terrific forces of nature.