The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-07-13
Thr Jnae alorthrrner.
FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1877.
LIGHTNING.


The Destructive Effects of Thunder storms.
fFrom spang's Treatise ON Lightning Protecton.I
The amount of destruction of life and
property by lightning, or rather electri-
cal discharges, has been very great
throughout the world.
1t is estimated that at least As persons
are killed annually by lightning in this
country. The average number of deaths
by lightning has been % in England, 3
in Switzerland, in Belgium, and rs in
France. In France alone, during
period OF 80 years, over 10, 600 persons
were smitten, of which 2,252 were in
stantly killed. Eighty were wounded
and killed during one thunderstorm at
Chateauneuf les Monitors in 1861, and
within one week, when the air was high
ly charged with electricity, 33 fearful
flashes of Lightning were observed, each
bringing death to some victims.
During the sixteen years between
1899 and 1876 155 vessels of the British
navy were struck by lightning 70 men
were killed and 1873 injured, anu the loss
OF materials amounted to over a million
dollars but since the system of metal
lie conductors, adapted for vessels, de-
applied to the vessels in that navy, the
almost entirely ceased, although the
number of vessels has been greatly In
creased.
In "Fuller's Church History" it is
stated that scarcely a great abbey in
England exists which once, at least, was
not burned down by lightning from
heaven"
On one night of April, IT'S, twenty
four steeples were struck along the coast
of Brittany and on the 18th of January,
1915, twelve steeples suffered a similar
fate in the Rhenish provinces.
On the 9th of July, 1859, lightning
burnt all the woodwork of the great
cathedral at Strasbourg; and on the 14th
of August, Is 80, it was struck three
times within quarter of an hour, and so
much damaged that the repairs cost
about $6,000,000 In 1886 lightning
conductors were placed upon the build
ing and steeple, and since then it has
not been damaged whatever by lightning,
although discharges have ON several oc-
casions occurred in line with the top of
the steeple, which is 437 feet above the
ground
On the 18th of August, 1869, the
Tower of st. Nazaire, at Brescia, was
struck, and the subterranean powder
magazine, containing 2,076,0 600 lbs. of
powder, belonging to the republic of
Venice, was exploded. One-sixth of the
whole tow II was laid in ruins and the rest
very mue injured, and about 5000 per
sons killed.
On the 26th of June, 1907, the powder
magazine of Luxembourg, containing
$4,000 pounds, was struck, and, besides
about 80 persons killed and 200 injured,
the town was ruined.
Explosions and large fires, involving
great loss, have become rather frequent
in this country, owing to the iron tanks
used for the storage of petroleum being
struck by lightning. From March to
August, in 1876, over 10, 900, 900 gallons,
and on April 10, 1877, over 100000
gallons of oil and the village of Trout
man, were destroyed in the oil regions
of Pennsylvania.
In the States of Illinois and Iowa, and
the prairie country west of the MISSISSIPPI
pi river, thunder-storms are generally
more terrific, and more lives have been
lost there from the effects of lightning
than in any other section of this coun-
try. Owing to the said country being
level and devoid of trees, the equilibrium
between the electricity of the atmos-
phere and that of the earth is principal
~ restored by descriptive discharges.