The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-06-12
Danger from Lightning.

wide spread one. tits still prevalent
in China and Japan. The epperors
of Japan. according to Kampfer, re-
tire during thunder storms into grot-
to. over which cistern of water has
been placed. The water may be de-
signed to extinguish fire produced bv
the lightning; but more probably it is
intended as an additional protection
to whatever may be below; but this
does not prevent fish from being
killed by lightning, as Arago has
pointed out. In the year 1870, light
ming fell on the Lake of kirknitz, and
killed all the fish in it, so that the in
habitants of the ncighborhood were
enabled TO fill twenty-eight carts with
the dead fish found hoating on the
surface of the lake. That mere depth
is no protection, is well shown by the
fact of those singular vitreOus tubes
called fulgurites, which are known to
be caused by the action of lightning,
often penetrating the ground to a
depth of thirty or forty feet, and in
stances have been Known in which
lighting has ascended from the ground
to the storm-cloud, instead of follow
ing the reverse course. From what
depth ascending lightning spring is i'm
possible to saw. When the Chateau
Neuf lcs-Moutiers church was struck
/ bv lightning during divine service,
two of the officiating priests We're Sc
vcrclv injured, while third escaped
who alone wore .Scs,ments orna-
mcntcd with silk. In the same eX-
plosion, nine persons were killed, and
upward of eighty injured. But it is
noteworthy that several dogs We're
present in the church, all of which
were killed. 1t has also been obscrv-
cd that dark colored animals are
more liable to be struck (other cir
cumstanccs being the same) than
light colored. Nay, more; dappied
and picbald animals have been struck;
and it has been noticed, that after the
stroke. the hair on .he lighter parts
has come off at the slightest touch,
while the hair on the darker parts has
not been affected at all. 1t seems
probable, therefore, that silk and felt
clothing, and thick black. ,cloth, afford
a sort of protection, though not
very trustwo orthy one, to those who
wear them. !.
The notion has long been preva-
lent that metallic articles should not
be worn during a thunder storm
There can he 10 doubt that large me-
tallic masses, on or near a person, at
tract danger. Arago cites very
noteworthy instance Of this On the
DIST Of July, 1877, while a thunder
storm was in progress, there We're as
semblcd twenty prisoners in the
great hall of Biberach Jail Among
them stood their chief, who had been
condemned to death, and was chain
ed by the waist. A heavy stroke of
lightning fell on the prisoners, and
the chief was killed, while his COM
panionS escaped
1t is not quite so clear that small
metallic articles are sources Of dan
ger. The fact, that when persons
have been struck, the metallic por-
tions of their attire have been in ev-
cry case affected by the lightning, af-
fords only a presumption on this
point, since it does not follow that
these metallic articles have actually
attracted the lightning stroke. In
stances IA which metallic object has
been struck while the wcarcr has cs-
capped, are more 10 the point, though
some viii be apt to recognize here Il
protecting agency rather than the re-
verse. There is" says Arago,
"a source of danger where large as
semblagcs Of men or animals are
present in the ascending currents of
vapor caused by their perspiration.'
Like water, moist air is a good con-
ductor of electricity, and lightning is
attracted in the same way, though
not. of course. to the same extent, by
an ascending column of vapor, as by
a regular lightning conductor. 1t is
Oh this account, probably, that focks
of sheep are so frequently struck, and
so many of them killed by single
stroke. Barns containing grain which
has been housed before it is quite
drv are more commonly struck by
lightning than other buildings, the
ascending column Of moist air being
probably the attracting cause in this
ease, as in the former. When we are |
Overtakcn by thunderstorm i'll the
open air, precautiOn is more necessary
than within Il house. 1t is well to
know, especially when no shelter is
near what is the most prudent course
to adopt.
1t has been stated that there is
danger in running against the wind
during thunder storm, and that it /
is better to walk with than against .
the wind, One should even, it is
said, if the wind is very high, run
with the wind. The rationale Of
these rules seems to be this; eur
rent of air is produced when we run
against the wind, the air on the side
turned from the wind being rarer
than the surrounding air. A man so
running 'leaves a space behind him
in which the air is, comparatively
speaking, rareGed!" Lightning
would be more likely to seek such a
space for its track than a region in
which the air is more dense. An in
stance is recorded in which, during a
gale, lightning actually left condue-
tor which passed from the mast of a
ship to her windward side, in order
to traverse the space of rarefied air
on the ships larbOard side.
1t is quite certain that trees are
very likely to be struck by lightning,
and therefore, that it is an exceeding
ly dangerous thing to stand under
trees in a storm. No consideration
of shelter should induce any one to
adopt SO dangerous course. The
danger, in fact, is very much greater
when heavy rain is falling, since the
tree, loaded with moisture, becomes
an efficient lightning conductor. For
similar reasons, it is dangerous TO
seek the shelter of large building
mot protected by lightning conduc-
tori in a thunder storm. One of the
most terrible catastrophes known in
the history of thunder storms occur