Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-06-18
From the N. Y. Jouruul Of Commcecc.l
,rrITNINn

Our records of lightning phenomena aye con''Hueu
| in all their fullness and mluutlae.
No csss Of death by lightning in a steamboat OF
railroad car, or to a telegraph operator, OF ~ OH Hon
vessel or iron building, or vessel furnished with mo.
| tsnic lightning conductors, has yet come unier our
observation during the many years covered ny our
record in our extensive field Of research.
But two deaths by lightning have occurred % ouiin'
; iazs furnished with metallic lightning conductors; one
| of theae We. Ut North Prairie, Wisconsin, july y. iooo
the other at Walden, Vermont. July Is, 1891: l
have no doubt, could | 5aGe seen THESE TWO Duh"ipes
Immediately after they hue been str;lck by iign'h'ng'
that / should have found such traces G! tne i3h'nnns
az would have explained the apparent failure OF The
rods.
!, These fscts will slsy the fears Of many persons VINO
! are il steamboats, railroad cars, iron Vessels or IRON
| buildings, OF IN vesseis or buildings furnished WIN
lightning conductors, during thunder storms.
A Gaze Of suffering canie u.der my own ooserva'
lion. A person 10 a house not furu,sdcc with roos
| was, during thunder s,orm., SO agitated Ind dIstfs7seu
that all the msnbers or the family IN the hhnse were
in attendance to sooihe and quiet her mind; but on
the house Seing thoroughly furnished with metallic
lightning conducto:c9, her %suferings during thunder
storms while in the Eouae wholly ceased. we r.,
corded n few years since the death of u lacy al or neH
Pougbkeepsis, from alarm, during q thunder atom.
We have made extensive inquiry OF sh'pmsste's "s
to the effect OF the wind upon ships spars that Ind
lightning conductor: upon them, and have not heard
of a single instance in which he wind had carried
away the .pa.s of a vessel With q lightning CLAIM up
on II.
The impression is very general that steamboats, IRE
never struck by lightning. This is an error; steam
boats have some;imes been struck by lightning, out
the damage WAS very triainS. The inasts oil oceho
steamers are liable 10 bb struck by I~ght.iDg.
. We have q record OF the lightning striking Il piece
of red hot ion, fhgt q blacksmith held on An hnVil
with hs tonga. The red h1; iron gave ont abundant
scintillhtions.
The melted iron in Mr.. Cooper's furnace, OF Tren
ton, New Jersey. WAS 81 highly charged WIN eiec'tl'
city, during a thunder storm, that II gave SHOCKS 10
the fireman who YVES probing the bot iron with an
iron bar.
1t il known to observing managers of dsiries, thai
milk 10 sometimes changed by distant thunder; The
brewer Suds distant thunder occasionally TO stop Ter
mentatiOn; and the butcher, when There u hiuch
lightning, of q peculiar hiud, SEES the fresh meat 10
ha msrket stall become putid, aud exhibit n green
coloring matter upon its surface and Il nurses anh
physicians will notice, they will see that the aicE are
affected by thunder storms.
The Mammoth Cave of Kentucky u free from
~lightning-ihunde has never been heard or lightning
sesn from within this Cave. In ancient iines, Deiore
lightning -ode we're in use, grotloes under the water
we're made as q place e :eeort for safety during thun
der storms.
At the Great salines Of kannwns, wLeIG the in.
hsmmable gas rises in vast columns to the height oi
eighty feet in the air, fesrs were rSprassrd fhht The
gas might become ignited by lightning, and Inc
Whole surface destroyed by volcanic action. No fears
of any sucb re,rlt need be apprehended, for the gas Is
covered with water ;het tne lightning, with all lis
mighty powers, cannot pass th.ocgh, unless furnished
with a covered conductor.
have a letter of recent date from Calitorma, in
which my correspondents mention the occurrence
of a thunder storm-a rare visitor 10 that part OF the
world.
On the Cocct Of Peru, thunder and lightning is very
rare, but earthquakes ere of frequent occurrence;
while on the opposite eide OF the : ndes lightning IL
very frequent, aud earthquakes almost an- Io1n.
In the Arctic zone We meet with no records ui
EARTHQUAKES, or thunder or lightning.
During thunder stOrms, We have occasionally re.
corded observations on the changes of temperature
every sixty minutes Only Il small number OF thun.
der storms cool the air.
Lightning rods can be erected at a very slahli c's,;
iron wire. of one. fourth 10 tive slxtsenth3 o. an men
in diameter, il sufficient Tor a lightning conductor; I
reuuirss no other pointing than can be made on a
yrindstone, or with q ME. SUCH rods cost less than
one cent per foot. Each rod should 10 in one entire
piece.
Cold water should be freely thrown on persons
struck down by lightning. We have the record OF
resuscitstion or Staten Island, many years ago, after
hours of d~renching With cold water.
Metal roofs add to the protection OF a house against
lightning, but such roofs, for greater safety, should be
connected with the earth by mstahic rods.
Since PAS has been used in buildings for illumina
ton, no serious results from lightning have been er-
perieuced in which the gas pipes have been used.
We have INST with no cases OF loss OF lie oy lgnt'
ming. Of persons repoSing on beds with IRON oedsteads.
E.. MERRIAM.
BRooELYN HEIGHTS, N. T., June I'D, 1893.