The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-07-22
GREAT THUNDER STORMS.

Some Of the thunderstorms which hsva
prevailed in this country have been very
terrific and destructive. During August
l4th, 18th, and 10th, 1872, portions of New
York State and the New England States
were visited by some of the most terrific
thunderstorms ever experienced, dErlnS
W hch over 200 dwellings were struck and
damaged, about 10 persons were instantly
killed, ard 16O stunned. Quite numbt +
Of baTns, with their contents, hay and cat
tie, " ere also struck, fired, and consumed.
Cars, while running on some of tho rail-
roads, we're surrounded by vivid electric
light, but no passengers were injured,
although they were greatly alarmed. Te!-
egT6ph wires were melted by the half mile,
telegraph Instruments broken, ard poles
chartered in all directions. One of these
| storms occurred at midnight, at Arlington,
Mass, August 145b, in which brilliant
streams OF electricity darted aCr0ss the sky
| in every direction, and The thunder which
| followed was constant for period of Jhir
| teen minutes, without the lnteTmISslon of
an instlnt of silence. Three hundred and
| thirty one discharges were counted in seven
minutes by au observer and each discharge
was followed by loud and sometimes rat
| Ting reports, whoee reverbeTatiOns rolled
| through the heavens in an endless EprO-
! cession Cf majeei!c and terrific eOunds.
| During this scene, the moon, which was
abont half an hour above the western
| hOrlEun, was visible, DuG 30 maBolneu,
| through the haze and vapor, as to appear
like a brilliant flame suspended in the sky.
| For q period of twenty minutes the scene
was one of grandeur ard sublimity rarely
| Witnessed.
On the 9th of July, 1859, lightning,
| burnt ali the woodwork of the great cathe-
dral at Strasbourg: and en- the l4th OF
August, 1888, it was struck three times
| within a quarter of an hour, and so much
damaged that the repairs cost about &c.
OOO, 600. In 1885, lightning conductors were
placed upon the building and steeple; and
since then it has not been damaged what
ever by lightning, although discharges have
on several occasions occurred in line will
the top of the steeple, which is 4% fee
above the ground.
On the 18Th OF August, 1859, the Towe
of St. NHzaire, at Brescia, was struck, anE
the subterrauean powder magazine, con
tanning .O96 600, lbs of powder, belonging
to the RepubIic of Venice, was exploded
One sixth of the entire town was laid Il
ruins, and the rest very much Injured ant
about 8. 5000, persons killed.
t Explosions and large fires, involving
great loss, have become rather frequent l
This country, owing to the iron tanks use
, for the storage of petroleum being struc
" NV lightning. From March to August |
1876. over 10. 600 600, and on April 10, lS7;
= 9, 600 900 gallons of oil, and the village
v TroutmaD, we're destroyed in the oil region
NJ of Pennsylvania.
10 In the States of Illinois and Iowa, an
at the prairie country west of the MISSISSIPPI
x river, thunderstorms are generally mol
~ terrific, and more lives have been 10
"a there from the effects of lightning than
I'd any other section of this country. Own
N to the said country being level and devo
"a of trees, the equilibrium between the ele
N tticity of the atmosphere and that of Il
h, earth is principally restored by disrupd'
a discharges.--SpGRg's "4TcGtise on Ltghtn''
Protection.