Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-08-14

CHANCES OF BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
The Hartford Courant has been figuring up
the chances of being struck by lightuing, and
.,rriyes ut the following reassuring result:
Taking the figures of the last census report
for our facts, we fnd that during the year 1870
there were, in the whole country, 2O2 deaths
from lightning stroke. Let womankind take
notice that out of these l4S deaths were Of
males and only 81 of females The total num-
ber Of deaths from all causes were nearly
100000. There were 2,437 deaths from other
causes to one death from lightning, and there
were ly0,SS3 persons living to every one killed
by this cause. 1t is somewhat singular that the
lightning was decidedly more destructive with
both males and females between the ages OF ten
aud thirty years than with any others. Be
tween ten and fifteen years is the most fatal
time, but even then the number is very small.
Much comfort for those still inclined to be
timorous is to be found in going back further
on the record The deaths by lightning in
1870 were only eleven more than IN 1860, while
the population had increased more than 7,OOO,-
oUO, aud the rate is declining IN spite OF the
hasty conclusions formed by reading the news
Of day. In 1860 there were torty-elght
deaths by lightning out of every lO0,O 900 deaths
from all causes; 10 1870 the rate was only forty.
from lightning stroke in 1870, there were 56I
deaths from sun-stroke, or nearly twice as many.
Yet the number OF persons who shudder when
they see the SUP rise would bear very small
ratio to those who shudder at the rising ct the
1hundcr.coud. The rate Of deaths by sun
stroke has declined during the decade from
niucty.one to eighty-one In 100000 deaths from
all causes aud with the increase IN care and in
formation on the subject is likely to decrease
still more, but it will always probably be largely
IN excess Of the lightning rate. 1t is also no
tccabc that there were | ,345 deaths by suicide,
while there were only POP deaths by hghtnlng-
in other words, an Individual is six times as
likely to kill himself as lightning is to kill him.
OID PEOPLE There is family residing in
Price William county, consisting now of
lrother about Is years old, and sister of 49,
Neither Of them were ever ensnared in Hymen's
meshcs, but have enjoyed the state Of single
tlcssedness, thus far on their pilgrimage.
They have good home and are blessed with
ample means 10 supply themselves with the
good things of this lite, which they enjoy, aud
their friends with them whenever they visit
them, and they are kind and hospitable, aud
have not lived to themselves alone, but have
been useful iu their day and generation. The
brother is mechanic and farmer also, and
very Intelligent Connected with the house
hold is a subject Of the Fifteenth Amendment,
whom We will call Uncle Tom" (not the cele
brated Uncle Tom" who had ''cabin" 10
Mrs. Slows Story,) and who is now 95 years
old. He has constantly refused to avail him
self Of the provisions Of the Fifteenth Amend
meut. He never eats from bome No matter
where he goes. or what business he may have
in the neighborhood, he refuses to eat, but
tas> until he returns home. But what of all
this it may be asked Are there not many
such cases, at least so far as the white members
Of the family are concerned ? Perhaps there
are similar cases but the novelty in this case
is that none of them ever saw steam boat or
railroad car until few weeks ago, when the
brother was induced to 60 to the Potomac land
lug and see for the first time in his life the
steam beat aud the cars. He is good me-
cbaulc aud it is said be examined the steamer
and the cars very critically, but we have not
learned whether he thinks he could build
steamer or car or not We may add that
there is no family in the country more respect.
able, as they are every way above reproach.-
Warren Sentinel.