The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-07-19
The Destructive Effects of Lightning

The Destructive Effects of Lightning
The amount Of destruction Of life ano
property by lightning. or rather electrica
discharges, has been very great through
out the world.
Ii is estimated that at least As person,
are killed annually 10y lightning ia thu
country. The average number OF death,
10y lightning has been % Iu England. 9 ~
Switz-rlOnd, 3 in B..lgium, and IS ia
France. Ia France alone, during PERI
Od of thirty years, over lO.UOO peis "a,
were smItt+n. OF which 2.252 were in
stanrly killed Eighty were wound-d
aud y killed during one thunderstorm al
ChaIeauDeuf les Montiers ia 1861, aud
within one week. when the air was high
ly charged with electricity, 80 fearful
tia-hes Oi lightning were observed, each
| bringing death To some victims
During the l6 years brIw++n 1899 and
| 1916, l56 vessels Ot the British navy we're
struck 10y lightning; 73 m-n were killed
aud l3S injured, aud the loss Oi materials
amounted a 10 over million dollars but
since the system Oi metallic Conductors,
adApt,d u Tor ve-stl-, devised toy SIR " i.
SNOW Harris, has been applied to the
vessels la that navy, the lUsees and dam
ages by lightning have almost entirely
erased, although the number Of vessels
has been greatly Increased
In Fullers Church History il is stated
that scarcely great abbey in England
exists which once, at least, was not burn
ed down by lightning nom b. avrn."
On the night Oi April, Ills. "a stee
pies we've struck along the coast oi BRIT
Iany aud on the llIh OF January, ISIS,
IL steepl-s suffered a similar late IN the
RhruIsn provinces
On the 9th Of July. 1859, lightning
burnt all the woodwork OF the great
cathedral at StrasGourg; aud on the l4lh
%; August, 1888. It was struck 3 times
within quarter OF au hour, and 30 much
damaged that the rrpaIrs cost about
S6.OOOOO. la 1885 lightning conductors
were plac-d upon tue building aud stee-
pie, aud since then It has not been dam
aged whatever 10y lightning. although
dischaIgrs have on several occasions Oc
curr, d ~ line with the top Ui the sIetple,
winch is 49, ie-L above the ground.
On the lSth OF August, lT6y, the Tower
OF st. Nazairr, al Brrscia, was siI uck. Aud
the suLterrAnran powder nIagnz ne. con
tanning ~. g. .UUO lbs. OF pow der, belOng
ing TO the k~publIc of Nenicr, was tx
ploded. Que sixth of the whole town
was laid ia ruins aud the rest very much
injured. aud about 3.OOO pc: SOUS killed
On the 10Th OF June, loU7 the powder
magaZ. ne vi Luxembourg. containing 2o.
UUO It's, was struck. aud besides about 80
p-rsuns killed aud 2OO injured, the town
Was ruined.
Explosions and large fires, involving
great los, have become rather frequent
IN this country, OWING TO the iron tanks
u>rd for the sto.age vi PETROLEUM being
struck by lightning. FrOm March to
August, in 1916, over lU.UOO OOO gallons,
aud Ou April ~. 1871. over z UUJ.UOO gal
Ions OF oIi, aud the village OF TFoutman,
were destroyed in the oil regions OF
Ptunsy lyauia.
Some oi the thunderstorms which have
prevailed in this country have been very
irrrific aud d,stIuctiye. During August
l4th, l5th. aud l6th, lST2. puruous ol
New York State and the New England
States were visited Uy some OF tue most
terrific thundrfstorms ever experienced.
during which over 2OO dwellings were
struck AID damaged, about 10 PERSONS
were Instantly kIIit Il, and l6U stunned
Quite n numb,r vi baIns, WITH their cOU.
tents, hay aud Cattle, were also struck,
Tired, and CONSUMED Cars, while run
uIng Uu some oI the railroads., were sur
rounded Ly vivid rlrctric light, but lao
y ,ssrngeTs were injured, although they
were greatly alarmtd Il. Telegraph wIrrs
were InrIIed by the hall miir, telegraph
instruments broken, anu pOlrs shattered
IA all dirt tctIons. Que Vi ia, Sc storms
uccurr,d d al midnight, at Arlington.
Mass, August l4Ln, in winch brilliant
streams v, rlectrICIJy darIed across the
sky IN every direction, aud the thuLd 2
winch followed Was constant lOT a period
oi thirteen minutes, Without the inter
~ i,sIon Oi an Instant vi silence. Three
hundred and ihiriy UI'r discharges were
count, Il In uIInuLrs Ly an observer, aud
zach discharge was followed by loud aud
Sometimes raItling reports, whose revrr-
LeratIUns rolled through the heavens IN
al endless procrsslUn vi majestic aud ter
r.iic SOUNDS. DuIing Inis scene, the
moon, winch Was aUUuL hall an hour
above the western hOTIzUn, Was yisIGlv,
hut 90 uIaguItied, through the haze and
vspor. ~ appear he a brilliant flame
Suspeutird ia the sky. For period vi
~ minutes the scene was one oi grandeur
and suUlImIIy rarely Witnessed.
Ia the States OF Illinois and Iowa, and
the prairie country west vi The MissIsslp
pI IIyer, thundrTstUrms are generally
more riiic, aud more lives have been
lost there from the effects ot lightning
than in any other section vi this county.
Owing to the said country bring level
and devoid oi trees, the equilibrium be
tween the elrctrIciTy Of tire atmosphere
aud that OF the earth is prime pal'y res
tored 10y disruptiye discharges Il lSpnss
q" 1 realise Un Lightning PROJECTION.