Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1846-06-11

horses and oxen having white spots
were struck BY lightning, and had all
the white hair burned off, while the re-
mainder Of the hide remained unalter-
ed.
1t haa been supposed that certain
species OF trees are proof against light
ming, and never struck by if. 1'iberius
twas accustomed to wear crown OF
laurel, from the idea that lightning ne
yer struck it.
The beecb-tree is said to be non
conductor of lightning. So notorious
is the fact, that the Indians, whenever
the sky wears the appearance of a
thunder storm, leave their pursuits and
take refuge under the nearest beech
tree. In Tennessee the people consi-
der it complete protection. DR.. Bee
ton, IN letter to DR.. Mitchell, states
that the beech tree is never known to
be struck by atmospheric electricity,
while other trees are often shattered in
to splinters. May not a. knowledge of
this afford protection to many when ex-
posed?
When assaiIed by a storm in an open
plain, the danger is greatly augmented
by seeking the shelter of tree. Ex-
perience aid theory combine to prove
this. The position of greatest safety
is such distance from the tree that it
shall act as conductor, d;verting the
lightning from the place assumed for
safety. A distance of half a dozen
yards may serve for this purpose.
Glass, being non-conductor of cleo
tricity, is generally supposed to have
a protective virtue. Thus it has been
presumed that person enclosed in a
cage of glass exposed to thunder
storm, would be in absolute safety
This is proved to be fallacy by many
examples oflightning striking and pen
etrating the panes OF the windows and
the frames of Conservatives.
Nothing is more clearly established
than that pieces OF metal of any kind,
carried about the person, augment the
danger of being struck by lightning !;
and this increase of peril is greater in
proportion to the magnitude Of the me-
tallic appendages. That this material
principle, Illustrating as it does, one
of the elementary laws of electricity,
may be appreciated as fully as it ought
to be, we shall here cite some of the
numerous recorded examples of it.
On the 2lst of July, 1919, lightning
struck the prison of Biberac, in Swa-
bia, and, passing into the grand hall,
struck an individual prisoner who was
one in d group of twenty; the nineteen
others were untouched. This individ-
ual was a brigand chief, who, being
under sentence, was chained round the
waist.
When Saussure and his party were
at Brewer, is l767, the metal band and
gold button on the hat Of M. Jallabat
emitted sparks.
Constantine relates, that in 1749, a
lady wearing on her arm a gold brace
let, raised her hand to shut the window
during thunderstorm, the bracelet
suddenly disappeared, not the slightest
trace of it remained. The lady was
slightly wounded. Brydone relates
that a lady of his acquaintance, Mrs.
Douglass, sitting in an open window,
during storm, had her bonnet COM
pletely destroyed, but suffered no inju-
ny IN her person. He accounts for the
wire of the form of the bonnet attract
ing the lightning.
These, and many other instances,
might be mentioned, sufficiently proving
that safety is best consulted in time OF
storm, by laying aside all metallic APP
pendages of the person, such as chains,
watches, earrings, hair ornaments, &c.
The source of the greatest danger is in
the bars or plates of steel which are US
ed in the corsets of females, and which
ought to be abandoned by all ladies
who do not desire to invite the APP
proach OF lightning.
1t has been already shown that when
| lightning passes along line of con
Quoting matter, the only points where
explosion takes place and damage en-
sues, are at the parts where lightning
enters and leaves the conductor; s. and
as unnecessary consequence of this, ali
interruption of continuity in any part OF
conductor or series of conductors, is
attended with explosion and correspon-
ding damage. Since, then, the bodies
OF men and animals afford a free pas
sage to the electric fluid, it may be ex-
pected by analogy, that when lightning
IS transmitted through chain Of ami
mails, either in mutual contact, or con-
nected by conductors, the chiefif not