Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-07-17
MISCEL LILA N Y
Thunder and LIGHTNING.

The ancients had two opinions respecting
the cause of thunder some of them assigned
it to infamed exhalations rendinp the clouds
wherein they were confined: and others as
cribed il to the higher aud condensed clouds
falling Suddenly on lower stratum with snch
force as expelled the intermediate air, which
vigorously expanded itself, in order to occupy
its former space, put all the exterior air in
commotion, and produced the reiterated claps
we call thunder. The latter of these opinions
was held hv Aristotle and Anaxagoras, the
former by Leucippus. and partly by Democri-
tus and Seneca. Chrysippus taught that
lightning was the result of clouds being set on
fire by violent winds which dashed them one
against another
Among the moderns it is supposed that air
or atmosphere is not of one uniform electrical
state, from the bottom to the top of it, but
rather composed of a succession of positive and
negative strata the mixing suddenly of one
stratum ofthese with the other is the occasion
thunder and lightning; or rather the rush to-
gether of clouds of a positive and negative
character. Others affirm that the sudden COM
bination of oxygen and hydrogen gas in the
higher regions of the air occasioned an electric
discharge into them, when mixed, but not
combined. occasion thunder and lightning; and
the combination of the gases, water. or the
heavy showers that accompany the phenome-
non. The rattling noise we hear is owing to
the sound being excited among clouds hanging
over one another, between the arches of which
agitated air irreguarly passes; it also partly
depends upon the reverberations from reighbor-
ing objects.
When thunder explodes high in the air, it IS
harmless, but when it bursts on or near the
earth, it often destroys trees, cattle. and human
beings. The proximity or distance NAV be
estimated BY the time that elapses between see
ing the flash of lightning and hearing the tn un-
der. for every second that intervenes. l.l2O
feet are counted-3 1-2 seconds show il is
about one mile distant from us, 7 seconds. two
miles, and so on DIR. Wallis observes that 7
seconds usually elapse between seeing the flash
and hearing the clap, but often one second does
not pass, which shows it is very near, or per-
haps among US. To avoid the effect of this
awful phenomenon, DR.. Franklin advises us TO
apply metal conductors to the ronfs of houses.
masts of ships. &C., so that the conductor :
sharp point at the upper end, may reach two
or three feet above the summit of the object.
and continue thence down below the surface of
the earth or water. Copper wire, about one
H'"itH vi 10 gcUctdllV uSe0 In
these conductors The safest place. during
thunder. according to the Doctors advice, is
the middle of roam. if in house, on chair
placed on two or three beds or mattresses
placed over each other: or in hammock sus-
pended from the middle of the ceiling by silken
cords.
Dr.. Priestly saws the middle of cellar is a
secure place. We never should have about us
anv metallic substance, nor stand near metallic
bodies-wurkmen ought to lay down their
svthes, sickles, and spades, &C., and 90 dis
tance from them during thunder and lightning;
ploughs, irur ones especially, should be un-
yuked. Men ought not 10 run up close to
trees, hedges, walls, &C., but rather to stand
few yards from them, for these objects attract
lightning and it is hetter to be wet than struck
with the huid When lightning levels spires,
trees Sc, or scatters them greatly, it is called
a thunderbolt, which the common people sup
pose to be hard mass, like iron or stone but
this is very wrong conception; gnnpowder.
Eliminating powders, electricity, &C., perform
often as awful consequences as thunderbolts,
50 there is no need Of hard bodies to perform