William Snow Harris
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Sir William Snow Harris was a British physician and electrical researcher, nicknamed Thunder-and-Lightning Harris, and noted for his invention of a successful system of lightning conductors for ships.
HMS Beagle was one of the first ships protected from lightning by Harris's conductors.
HMS Beagle
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HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, one of more than 100 ships of this class. The vessel, constructed at a cost of £7,803, was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwic
William Snow Harris
…testing before the British Royal Navy changed to Harris's conductors from their previous less effective system. One of the successful test vessels was HMS Beagle which survived lightning strikes unharmed on her famous voyage with Charles Darwin. Harris was born in Plymouth on 1 April 1791. His family was well…
Beagle being hailed by native Fuegians during the survey of Tierra del Fuego, painted by Conrad Martens who became ship's artist in 1833
Longitudinal section of HMS Beagle as of 1832
Replica scale 1:1 of HMS Beagle, Nao Victoria Museum, Punta Arenas, Chile, 2018