The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-11-06

DR.. Lardner on The Explosion Of the " Richmond y
on the Reading Raihoay.-A very interesting report
has just been published, containing the result of DR..
Lardners investigation into the circumstances of the
terrific explosion, on the Reading Railway, on the
2nd September last. He ascribes the terrible occur
renee to the combined agency of atmospheric cleo
ricty and steam, His remarks are very interesting,
and we accordingly annex them:
The observation and researches of meteorologists
have informed in considerable detail of the vari-
Gus effects, mechanical, chemical and physical pro-
ductd on objects by atmospheric electricity. 1t is,
however, matter of regret, that the result Of their
abors have been limited to the history of these
effects. The mode IN which they brought about
by electrical agency has not been coucusvely esta-
bllshed Among the effects most prominent are those
produced upon the temperature of bodies that light
ming fuses metals by raising their temperature, il
proved by the fact, that metal fused 10y lightning has
fallen IN liquid drops upon wooden floor and upon
the decks OF vessels in which they have burnt holes
These effects have not been confined to masses Of
metal OF limited dimension, nor have they been mere
ly superfcal considerable masses have been on va
rious occasions melted When the lightning has not
produced FUSION the iron has been rendered mean
descent and Soft and reduced TO the state necessary
for welding 1t IN word, metals have been raised
suddenly by atmospheric electricity TO all conditions
OF temperature up to and including their points of -
sion. Examples of these effects might be multiplied
without end. In April, 1907, lightning passed along
large iron chain in Lancashire, in Engand and 50
soiened the links that by their weight they
welded together, and the cham was converted into
rod of iron. The same effect was produced at diff
ferent times in different places In March, 1872 a
bar OF iron, four inches by half an inch thick con-
nected with water pipe on the dome of st. Paul's
Cathedral, was rendered red hot
The mechanical effects of lightning consist in
piercing solid bodies with holes, splitting them 10
pieces, bending aud twisting them IN various CAPRI
cious iorms and 10 PROF ctng their fragments,
times OF enormous weight, to great distances. Buid-
ings stricken by lightning have produced shock felt
10 their neghborhood like that Of an earthquake; the
heaviest blocks composing their walls being scatter
ed IN all directions and projected to distances SO
great as POO feet. church was stricken in Corn
wall, from the roof of which, stone weighing 200
pounds was projected 10 distance sixty yards, an
other fragment being thrown 10 a distance OF 400
yards. In another instance in Scotland, a mass of
rock, IS feet long, feet wide and feet thick, as
raised IN The AIR aud projected an eminence 10
distance OF fifty yards. Similar examples might ca
silly be multiplied.
Large masses of iron found to have strong
influence m attracting lightning and this influence
appears to be great IN proportion TO its weight
Thus lightning passed outside the wall OF a building
has been drawn through it by iron boiler within
Some years ago, chain pier or bridge IN England
was destroyed during violent storm, and although
from It's nature II was continued into the earth, It was
broken TO fragments, its heaviest parts were bent
DOUBLED, twisted and knolted in most capricious
orms, although no signs OF fusion appeared upon it
! have given these particulars in order to inform
hose not iamiar with meteorological inquiries what
IRE tue actual effects whichhave been produced by the
igency of atmospheric electricity the question now
:, whether this agency has been operative in the
.astrophe before US.
| II appears by the general evidence Of the entire
population around the vicinity of the catastrophe as
well as by the special evidence of the individuals who
have been personally examined that at the time Of
this occurrence, terrific storm OF thunder and light
ming ragged two Of the upon the train, who sur
yived, proved that the flashes of lightning were in
cessan both before and after the explosion and that
The lightning was of the species called "zg gag light
hing" II IS proper here observe that, of the diff
srent species Of lightning that is the kind by which
terrestrial objects generally stricken tho spe-
CTS never, (or If ever very rarely passes between
coud and cloud, but always between a cloud and the
cath.
There seems 10 be then present all the conditions
necessary for the production OF such phenomenon
! holghning IS IN continual play 1t is Of the kind
tncessaKy t. produce the effect Is tons Of iron in
the shape Of boiler and machinery, are present TO
sttbct it there are abundance of distinctions IN this
mahlnery, at least as decided between the links
of heavy chain, by which conduction may be sufh-
ciey broken to give full effect to the heating power
of be electricity finally this mass is broken to PEE
ces its parts being scattered about in all directions
broen, bent, aud twisted, and projected in con-lde-
rabe masses TO distances analogous to those recorded
in SIMILAR cases But granting the fact supposed that
lightning struck the boiler, how, it may be asked can
the explosion be explained for that exp osion did
taseplace, seems extremely probable, # not morally
| certin.
TIE character and loudness Of the report, and the
appearance OF the remains of the tre-box, are suf-
hoiety indicative Of this. We snswer that an ex-
plos,n in the present case, with the cylinders IN full
opertlon and toe two safety valves Free could only
be cased by an almost instantaneous evolution of
gres volume Of highly elastic fluid in the boiler-so
grea a volume that, compared with Il, the steam
escaping through the cylinder and valves would be as
nothsg. Such an effect would undoubtedly be pro-
duceCby sudden access Of heat impaired TO any
partd the boiler in contact with water, or still more
efeG'ally If impaired immediately to the water IT,
self III them the electricity thus heated the boiler
or anypart of H. and that the water as II might have
DONE ook up the heat from he metal fast enough TO
proved the latter from being fused, or rendered in
capdesen the entire catastrophe, with all is con-