The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-30
CURIOSITIES OF LIGHTNING.
Its Physiological Efects-Interesting
Incidents, etc.
BY HARRY EVELYN.

| trlbuted @ paper to New 1Ork JOufnai,
in which he showed from recorded facts,
that the prevalent notion of safety from
attacks of lightning in certain places, as
in a,bed, under particular kind of tree
(notably the beech,) the supposed pro-
tective power of glass, etc., although gen.
orally so, does not always hold good, and
that there is no place absolutely safe,
while there is no method of determining
which way the flash will come or where
it will strike. Science must advance be-
yond its present 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
1772, Mr.. HEARTILY, Of Harrogate, Eng
land, was killed by lightning while
asleep in bed; and incredible as it may
seem, his wife, lying by his side, was not
III 1928, lightning destroyed a wooden
bedstead in a cottage near Chichester,
throwing the clothes on the floor, and
with them mattrass and 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 win
dow during thunder storm the glass
was reduced to powder, but the wood
work of the window remained uniDjured.
In 1919, lightning struck the prison at
1 Biberach, and out of twenty persons con-
fined in one apartment it attacked onlya
brigand who was chained around the
waist, leaving the others unscathed.
In 1849, during thunderstorm, lady
raised her arm to shut'a window in her
apartment; the lightning flashed, and a
gold bracelet $50 completety-disappeared,
that not vestige of it could be found"
and yet the lady herself was not hurt.
The complete disappearance of the brace
let is probably a bit of exaggeration; the
melting without the actual disappear.
ance, is credible; for in 1874, lightning
flash struck fishing boat off the Shet.
land Islands, shivered the mast, and
melted a watch in the pocket of a man
sitting near the mast, without even
scorching his clothes or injuring him.
In 1858, woman was killed by light
ming near Auxerre, in France, and not a
wound was found upon her body; but a
silver comb in her hair was melted
probably indicating The spot where the
death-stroke was given.
Brydrone relates an incident of lady
whose bonnet was reduced to ashes by
lightning, while she was looking out ofa
window at thunderstorm. The wire
in the bonnet probably attracted the
electricity.
In 1908, lightning flash struck a
house in a. Swiss village, in which five
children were sitting on q bench; it
killed The first and the last in the row,
but gave only violent shock to the
others.
In 1858, at Drome, in France, a. light
ming flash killed young girl in farm
house, but left untouched child in her
arms.
In 1885, lightning attacked stable at
Rambouillet, in which there were thirty
two horses in 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 between horse and a mule;
the two animals were struck dead by
lightning, while the man escape with only
slight injury.
In 1871, while three French gentlemen
we're out riding, lightning flash killed
all three of the horses, but only one of
the riders.
In 1926, a boy was leading mare on
a road near Worcester; 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 the latter, but gave only a slight
shock to the former. In 1858, while
clergyman near Leatherkead, was riding
in carriage with two members of his
family, q lig ghtning flash struck the driver
from his seat without hurting the other
persons or the horses.
In 1871, the Austin, Texas, Gazette
made this statement:
"We have been shown private letter
from T. A. Sampson, of Pine Bluff, Ar
kansas, in which he relates very extra
Iordinary circumstance of negro preach
er who was stricken dead by lightning
while addressing the congregation. And
what is remarkable, on the succeeding
Iday, when his remains were carried to the
Igrave, and while. in the act of burying
him, another bolt of heaven struck his
coffin, leaving his remains a ghastly
sight"
No mention is made of any other per-
son having been injured on either occa-
sion.
| In the present state of science, rapid
as have been the strides in the various
departments, physicists are unable to ex-
plain the why and the wherefore of these
incidents; why one should be taken and
another left in the same bed, and the
nurse killed but the child in her arms
spared.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF LIGHT.
| MING FORM MOST INTERESTING
STUDY. ~
Sometimes lightning produces complete
and instantaneous paralysis. The sup
preston of movement in the victim in
fthese circumstances is so rapid that those
who have witnessed it might have thought
they suffered from some illusion. Jerome
Garden relates that eightrea who were
eating their dinner under an soak tree,
were all struck by the same Hash of flight
! ming, the explosion ofswlich was heard
far away. When some people passing
by approached to see what had happen
| ed; they found the reapers to all appear.
aneea continuing their repast:; one still
held his glass in his hand, another was
| in the act of putting piece of bread into
his mouth, a third had his hand in the
dish, etc. Death had come upon them
suddenly while in these positions, when
the thunderbolt fell. Azeal had seized
upon them with so much violence that
he had impressed upon the entire surface
Of their bodies the mournful tint of his