The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-07-09
Thunder-StOrmS.

The precise or entire part which thun-
der-stOrm performs in the mechanism OF
the aerial heavens, says writer IN the
Sunday Magazine, is somewhat obscure.
Enough, however, can be CLEANED from IT'S
general aspect to render it not only an I'M
portant subject to acquaint ourselves WITH,
as regards lis physical effects, but deeply
interesting when contemplated III us mOra
and religious point OF view, which every
work of the Creator should be. As a
physical phenomena of our globe, its first
characteristic is that of a safrty-yalVe, or
escape from TOO great an accumulation OF
tbs electric matter which pervadeS our
earth, air and ocean, and with which the
world is, as it were, continually overflow
inp This electric matter seems TO be the
principal, if not the most powerful, agent,
not only in what is calleda thunderstorm,
but i'm the entire globe which we lnhablt.
Its mysterious and unknown matter IS
given forth in large quantities alike from
fhe earth and from the heavens-the for
mer being what is called negative cleo
tricity, and the latter positive. Now.
thunderstorm is but the discharge OF the
constantly increasing quantity OF electric
ity from heaven and earth aC the same
time. lust as two hostile armies would eX-
pend their ammunition in firing at one
I
electricity is generated and increases so
wonderfully at particular seasons is some
what obscure. A good deal of it has its
origin in the sun, there is little doubt. lt
is thought. too, that the continued and
sudden changes of temperature produced
by solar influence on the ever-varylng
properties and chemical nature OF the
substances of which our atmosphere Is
composed tend to keep up constant sup
ply of this wonderful agent. Among the
/ generating causes of electricity, that OF al
| ternate condensation and evaporation
the formation or dissipation OF clouds by
change of temperature-has been said TO
be a fruitful source. But this has been
/ questioned by many eminent men OF the
present day. Certain il is, however. that
| the greatest quantity of electricity has
been present during these processes. 1t
| is proved also that clouds, especially the
| large, white, tleecy, mOtiOnless wOOlpacks
with which we are so familiar, are filled
with electricity, and are but so many wall
! deri aerial or nebulOus volcanoes. Occa-
| siOnaily relieving themselves of their cleo
| trical burden by a thunderstorm, just as
| the terrestrial volcanoes relieve themselves
from subterranean matter. They are, in
fact. huge Leyden jars, filled with that de-
structive yet necessary and llfe-glVng
| fluid. Indeed, as our readers are uOuot-
less aware, the lightning flash has long
been identified with the electric discharge
| from the battery of an electric machine.
FOrked lightning can be exhibited in min
iature from Leyden vial, filled with that
mysterious substance called, perhaps with
out sufficient reason, fluid. Franklin,
indeed, and many other eminent men
since. have cOnclusively settled that point.
The fiery globe that rolls and Kisses along
the ground, or the broad blue glare of the
sheet lightning, or the more dangerous
forked ZgZag flash that strikes the earth,
skaters the steeples of our churches,
burns and destroys our homes, rendS as
sunder the strongest oak, or kills IN mo-
ment man or beast, is, after all, the same
substance as we can obtain artliiclally
within the space of a small glass jar and
can confine there, or set free at pleasure IN
any Guantity-with a shock strong
enough to II an OK if necessary, or so
slight as not to injure an infant; and 1t IS
also the same substance that is now our
obedient slave and messenger to engirdle
the earth in moment. and convey our
messages of peece or war, love or hatred,
politics or science, joy or sorrow, under
the Atlantic depths, as well as over noun
tain and valley.