Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-12-26
From ts Recent Number Of the London Quar-
terLy ReUiet0.''
CURIOUS ANECDOTE OF THUNDER
STORMS.

| of vapor, when a connection can be es-
tablished with the earth. A French
Academican, named Morcolle, describes
case where a mere cloudlet, about a
foot in diameter, killed poor woman by
dropping lhunderbolt upon her head
1t has beer shown by Faraday that the
electric fluid contained in single flash
might perhaps be supplied by the decom-
position of one grain of water alone.
DIFFERENT SORTS OF LIGHTNING.
NJ. Arago has divided the lightnings
into three sorts. The first includes those
where the discharge appears like lumin
Gus lines, bent into angles and zigzags,
and varying in complexion from white to
blue, purple or red. This kind is known
as forked lightning, because it occasions
ally divides into two branches. Carpen-
tiers relates case where flash severed
into three forks, each of which struck on
points several hundred feet apart. SIll
more numerous fureations have been re-
ported, for it is said that during tenn
pest at Landerneau and st. Pol de Leon,
twenty four churches were struck, though
only three distinct claps were heard.
This was eight churches apiece for the
three explosions
The second class of lightning differs
from the first ia the range of surface over
which the aasn is diffused, and is desig>
mated as sheet lightning. Sometimes it
simply gilds the edges of the cloud
whence 1t leaps but at others it floods
with lurid radiance, or else sufuses its
surface with bushes of rosy or violet
hue.
FRENCH TAILOR CHASED BY BALL OF
LIGHTNING.
The third class of Iightniugs are remar-
kable for their eccenLricities, and have
been made the subject Of considerable
contention among meteorologists, many of
whom have denied their right to be trea-
ted as Legitimate lightnings, they differ so
widely from the ordinary sort of flashes.
They exhibit themselves as balls or COB
ular Jumps Of fre-not momentary appa-
rltlons, but meteors which take their
own time, and travel at remarkably slow
rates. 1t is this incelerity which gives
them their doubtful character, ss an
electrical bolt is supposed to be one of
the leading emblems of velocity. Among
other anecdotes related of this kind Of
lightning is the following incident, which
occurred to tailor in the Rue St. Jaques,
Val de Grace, about the year l843. M.
Babinet was commissioned by the Aca-
deny Of Sciences to investigate the facts.
and reported substantially as follows:
" Alter a loud thunder clap, the tailor
being finishing his meal, saw the chimney
board fall down, as it overset by a slight
gust of wind, and globe of fire, about
the size of child's head. come out qui-
etly and moved slowly about the room,
at small height above the floor. The
tailor said it Looked like good sized kit
ten, rolled up into a ball. and moving
about showing its paws. 1t was bright
and shining, but he felt no sensation of
heat. The globe came near his feet like
young. cat that wants to rub itself
against its masters legs; but by moving
them aside gently, he avoided the contact.
1t appears to have played for several Sc
conds about his feet, bending his body
over 1t examining it attentively. After
trying some excursions in different direc-
tons 1t rose vertically to the height Of
his head. The globe elongated little,
then steered toward q hole in the Chin
ney above the mantlepiece, which hole
IeCeNeu SIoVe pipe In winter, DuI was
now pasted over with paper: The
thunder" he said, "could not see the
hole )" but nevertheless, the ball went
straight to the aperture. removing the
paper without hurting it, and made its
way into the chimney. Shortly after
wards and when he supposed it had time
to reach the top. it made dreadful ex-
pIosion which destroyed the upper part of
the chimney. and threw the fragments on
the roofs of smaller buildings, WHICH they
broke through. The ta;lor's lodgings
was on the third story the lower ones
were not visited at all by the thunder
bolt" ...r.. .- '.-... .a... &.
.r WHY 1T DESTROYS. s~.
Lightning, when it meets with an OBJ
struction in its course frequently skaters
the non-oonducsing objects, dispensing
and bursting substances asunder in every