The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-07-18
ENOU IR Err.
RICHMOND :
WEDNESDAY, JULY ls, 1904.


Although the f:icnce of Electricity has GER
tamly received many conliderable improvements
iince the days of DR.. Franklin, it does not vet
appear to have reached the fame certainty and
folidity of principle, which diftinguih the other
phyiical licences. We are not lowell acouant-
ed with the operations of the electron as to ex-
plain all the Effects which have actually happen-
ed, or 10 predict the phenomena which are
about to happen. The following occurrence,
which took place in this city on Tuefday the
10Th INIT. appears TO embrace fome curious cir
| cunlRances.
The weather had been very fultrv during
the three or four preceding days: the Therrno-
! meter Handing in the fIade at 80, 81 or 90 de-
grees. About O'Clock, p. NJ. the Ky indica-
| ted all the lowering appearance of thunder
torn. The wind blew between North and
Wet the clouds appeared TO have divided in
| to two branches, one waited towards the eat,
and the other, which oyerhung Richmond, at
Tuning black and Heecy appearance. About
$ O'Clock, large drops of rain began to fall, and
fevere haih of lightning fucceeded feveral
INHALER fiaihes, accompanied by a more copious
fall of rain. 1t was this difcharge of electricity
that produced the effects which l am now 60
| ing to relate.
In fmall bottom on ShockG Hill, tree a.
! bout 10 feet from the road, was truck in fin
gular manner. A fnall ftream of lightning ap-
: Peared to have ftruck its dry top, and to have
/ oelcended In fpral manner, until it reached a
imall knot about the middle of the tree, when
1t fuddenly diiappeared. 1t was "Gnall fream"
. becauie 1t appeared fcarcely to have penetrated
/ beyond the bark, without having rived the wood
or torn Of any of the branches its "deicent"
appears TO be aicertained by the direction of
the few fplnters, which projected towards the
Ky. Three men who were walking on the
road, IN line nearly horizontal with the knot
OF the tree, experienced very comfortable
ihock during this difcharge. A little boy was
relied to the earth a negro man was COM
Pletely tunned: but the mott perceptible i'm
Preiilon was made upon young gentleman,
whole body, according to the account which
fhall be subsequently given, appears to have
conducted large quantity ofthe eleGtron. a
bout 800 feet from the frt tree, fituated to-
wards the eait and elevated about 40 feet, ano-
ther tree contiguous to large houfe, whole
oppoiite end was protected by franklin, ap-
pears to have been truck in a very different
manner. Not only fone Of its bark was torn oil,
but the wood itfelf was rived. The ftream of
lightning feems to have attended FROM the earth
to or feet up The tree, when it innocuoully
and fuddenly disappeared. The "atcent'' of
this itream appears to be afcertained BY
the direction of the fplinters, which pro-
Jected towards the earth. It appears evident
that the fream which truck the fra tree
could not have communicated with the
other, becaufe ieveral other trees and hou(es
wnich were between them would have arreited
Its progreiS, and becaufe the imprefiion made
upon the lait, was not on that fde of the tree
which was oppofite to the firf. 1t is proper TO
remark, that thefe trees are in tract of earth
that embraces many objects on which this fubtle
hre had frequently fhed its influence. Several
houies have been truck at no great diftance from
I'rese 1r1I Eli.
formed, that it has itielf received an electric
mock not many years pat. Two facts appear
IN TINS tateInent; which certainly not fufcep-
bbie OF an eaty explanation. lift. WHY each OF
thofe trees fhould have conducted the lightning
over part Only of their filrface, without anv
appearance of IFS having communicated with a.
ny other conducting fubftance, unlefs the young
gentleman, who was at leaft 40 feet from the firf
tree, be fuppoied to have come within the range
! OF one or the electric ftreamso 2dly. WHY one
itroke OF lightning ihould have defended, and
another Attended within the fmall dftance ofsoo
feet
The fatement of cafe, extrs6led from the
Bolton Palladium and republilhed in the 18th
No. of this paper, and in mott of the other pa
Pere ofthe continent, of the efficacy of cold wa
ter IN reiuicitating perfon truck with light
nlng, induces the editor to draw out ibort
fketch of the fate of the young gentle-
man, who had 70 nearly become the vic
tim OF its power, and of the fuccefsful
method of cure which was practifed upon him.
Different opinions have been formed of the d.
rection in which he was truck. Some have
drawn the lightning from the clouds fome
have conducted it from the tree Others have
carried it from the earth through him to the
clouds. The mprehions which were left upon
his body, do not appear to place either of thofe
opinions upon a certain foundation. LARGE
contuhon appears on the right lide of his head !:
and his hat has rent in it, as fnooth and reeu.
lar as any which pair of fci1ars could have cut.
a freak proceeds from his head to the RIGHT
clavicle. When it reacbesthe wires in erigbt
fide of the fufpenderS, it appears to have diyid-
ed into two ftreams, each of which purfiIes its
OWE portion Of the fufpentiers until they come
within the attracting diftance of the watch
Here they feemed to have been united, and 70
have difcharged themfeves in one ftream along
the external part of the thigh and leg. The
chryital of the watch was broken, and fome ne
ceS were found in flfed fate in the pocket
he catch of the watch and feveral ofthe links
of the chain had evidently been melted
by this penetrating FIRE. The right leg of
the pantaoons and the right fhoe were
completely rent in pieces. The voung
gentleman after he had fallen to the earth
exhibited no fgns of animation. There was M
motion, no pulfe, no respiration. Cold water