The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-09-13
EigEleming.

altics By ligltI'ing are annually increas-
ing in numb Der. Notwithstanding the null
tiplied precautions taken to guard against
them But it may well be doubted
whether they occur more frequently, in
proportion to the increased population,
than in former years There are now SO
many newspapers in the rural districts,
that every local incident Of the kind is
quickly caught up, put into print, and
sent off on its travels. 1t must be to the
modern thoroughness with which they
are reported BY the local press that the
idea Of their increased frequency is to be
attributed for careful record kept by
Mr.. Merriam of Brooklyn shows that there
is but little annual variation in the num-
Der of these causualties. In 1888 there
were 56 persons killed and 66 injured by
i lightning, while in 1888 there were rs
killed and fl injured, being two less than
the year before During the many years
of observation which this gentleman has
devoted to tie phenomena Of lightning,
Ifr,says rra-,ssse essss aeatl:--,4eas ban
pened to person lying on an iron bed
stead, or in a house or building having a
metallic roof. II AYERS that persons in
iron buildings, iron vessels, within rail,
road cars, on board Of steamboats, or ocean
steamers, or in vessels furnished with
metallic conductors, continue to enjoy
complete protection f.om death or injury
from lightning So also with those in
ordinary buildings furnished with proper
conductors Mr. Merriam thinks that
thunders and lightnings are engaged in
other labors than those usually recorded
as iightuing incidents Distant thunder,
for instance, will curdle milk and stop
the fermentation of brewers yeast, while
active lightning putrefes the fresh
meat hanging on the butchers stall
The potato rot will vet be identified as
the result Of electrical influences. Dis
eases in the human system have long been
suspected of similar origin, while others
are undoubtedly aggravated by this mys-
terious agent of the Almighty. Cholera,
and kindred complaints, are largely inhu-
enceG by thunder and Lightning, and so
with yellow fever; for in countries where
no thunder and lightning are active, these
"courges arc unknown. India, where the
lightning is awful and the thunder ter
rife, has in the cholera an ever present
scourge, while California, whore the thun-
der gust is unknown, has been pronounc-
ed the hcalthicst climate in the world.
1t is remarkable that large cities enjoy
an almost perfect immunity from danger
10 life BY tightening. This remark ap-
pies as we'll to American as TO European
cities Between 1900 and 1851, not a
single death Nv Tightening is recorded as
having occurred in Paris, while through
ont France, from 1885 to 1852, the aver
age annual number Of deaths from the
same cause was Y. In 1885 the num-
Der killed was Ill. During 80 years, in
which 10000 deaths occurred in Lon
don, two only had been produced by
lightning. Twenty-Five per cent of all
the deaths from this cause happen to per-
sons under trees. From this data 1t is
evident that lightning finds more victims
III the open country than in Cities
There are definite reasons for this immu-
nifty enjoyed by citizens. Large towns
are made up of lofty buildings, multi
tudes of which are covered with metallic
roofs, frem which tin or iron cutters lead
off the rain water They contain many
churches, most of which have ostenta-
tious spires armed with lightning rods.
Private dwellings are protected in the
same way, so that the city in reality
brntles with metallic points, each of
which, presented to the thunder cloud,
discharges silently bat surely portion
Of its destructive energy. This vast ar
ray Of conductors grouped up within a
limited area, must of necessity carry off
the electricity of an overhanging cloud,
not it IS true, as rapidly as i is general