The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-30
CURI0sITIEs es LIGHTNING.
Its Physiological Ehects-lnterestIng
Incidents, etc.
By HARRY EVELYN.

Several years ago correspondent con-
tributed paper 10 New York journal,
in which be showed from recorded facts,
that the prevalent notion of safety from
attacks Of lightning in certain places, as
In bed, under particular kind of tree
(notably the beech,) the supposed pro-
tective power Of glass, ETC., although gen.
orally 80, does not always hold good, and
that there is no place absolutely safe
while there il no method Of determinin (,
which way the fash will come or where
it will strike. Science must advance be-
yond its prest MT stage before we can lay
down infallible rules for guidance in this
| matter.
His collection of facts demonstrated,
how ever, that there is something very
mysterious in the attacks of lightning on
the bodies of both men and animals
Some Of the incidents cited by him are
certainly very curious. For instance, in
1872, Mr.. Heartily, Of Harrogate, Enc:
land, was killed by lightning while
asleep in bed aud incredible as it may
seem, his wife, lying by his side, was not
even awakened by the shock.
In 1928, lightning destroyed wooden
bedstcad in q cottage near Chichester,
throwing the clothes on the floor, and
with them mattress and q person sleep.
ing upon it, without doing any injury to
the occupant of the bed.
In 1880, two persons were killed at
EaStbourne while standing inside vim
dow during Il thunder storm the glass
was reduced to powder, but the wood
work of the window remained uninjured.
In 1919, lightning struck the prison a:
Biberach, and out 0i twenty persons con-
fined in one apartment it attacked only q
briganj who was chained around the
waist, leaving the others unscathed.
In l849, during thunder storm. IA lady
raised her arm to shut window in her
apartment the lightning flashed, and a
gold bracelet $50 complctciy-disappearcd,
that not II vestige of it could be found, {"
and yet the lady herself was not hurt.
rhe complete disappearance Of the brace
let is probably bit of cxaggeration the
melting without the actual disappear.
nncc, is credible; for in 1914, a lightning
fash struck n fishing boat of the Shet-
land islands, slive.ed the mast, and
melted watch in the pocket of man
sitting rcar the mast, without even
scorching his clothes or injuring him.
In 1858, n woman was killed by light
ming near Auxerrc, in France, and not a
wound was found upon her body; but Il
silver comb in her hair was melted
probably indicating the spot where the
denth-stroke was given
| Brydr0ne relates an incident Of lady
| whose bonnet wns reduced to ashes by
lightning, while she was looking out of a
window nt thunderstorm. The wire
in the buunct probably attracted tie
electricity.
In 1903, lightning flash struck q
house in Swiss village, in which five
children were sitting on u bench; it
killed the first and the last in the row,
but gave only violent shock to the
others.
In 1858, at Dromc, in France, light
ming flash killed younS girl in n farm
house, but left untouched n child in her
arms.
In 1886, lightning attacked stable at
Ranntouillet, in which there were thirty
two horses in "a row; thirty were over
turned, of which the two at the extreme
ends of the line were killed.
In 1901, miller near Chartres, was
walking hetween horse and mule :;
the two animals were struck dead by
lightning, while the man escapo with only
slight injury.
In 1881, while three Frenci, gentlemen
were out riding, lightning flash killed
oil three of the horses, but only one of
the riders.
In 1926, boy was leading mare on
q road near Worcester; q thunder storm
came on, which killed the mare, but left
the boy unhurt.
/ In 1910. while man was sitting With
his dog by his side, lightning flash
! killed .he latter, hut gave only q slight
shock to the fa-mer. In 1858, while o
clergyman near Leatherhead, was riding
In carriage with two members of his
family, o lightning flash struck the driver
from his seat without hurting the other
persons or the horses.
In 1871, tho Austin, Texas, Gazette
made this statement:
We have beeu shown private letter
from L. A. Sampson, of Pine Bluff, Ar
kHnsas, in which he relates very extra
ordinary circumstance of q negro preach
or, who was stricken dead by lightning
while addressing the congregation. And
what is remarkable, on the succeeding
dny, when his remains were carried to the
grave, and while in the act of buryinp
him, another bolt Of heaven struck his
coffin, leaving his remains a ghast!y
sight"
No mention is made of any other per-
son having been injured OIL either occa.
sion.
In the present state of science, rapid
as have been the strides in the various
depatteaenta, phyeioists arc unable to ex-
plain the why and the wherefore of these
incidents: why enc should be taken and
| another left In the same bed, aud the
nurse killed but the child In her arms
spared.
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF LIGHT
MING FORM 4 MOST INTERESTING
STUDY.
Sometimes lightning produces complete
siiiti instantaneous paralysis. " Sup
preston or movement n tisu within liz
thsse c!EeH stances is go rapid tisass these
who hago witnessed it might have Thought
| they unfIereG from SONG Illusion. jerome
Garden relates that eight ssageFs who s1ero
eating their dinner aisdee an oak tree.
were all struck by the sESae lash Of 'illJsht.
ming, tie explosion es Sch vas heard
| far away. When solnS pqds,lo passinp
by approached to zee what had, happen.
ed they found the respers to an appear
aneog continuing their repast; one still
held his glass in his hand, another was
In the act of fpnttipg piece of bread into
his mouth, a third had hia hand Il, the
dish, etc. Death had como upon them
suddenly while ia these positions, when
the th1ndsrbolt fell. Azeal had seized
upon them with so much violence that
he had Impressed upon the entire surface
o. s,isif u,iiSe ssio t..ls &c 80