Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-28
The Fear Of Lightning.


who suffer from fear of lightning. The |
most agonizing of all nervous fears is
that Of lightning, and a count of these
whose lives are really embittered by this
dread would number scores of thousands,
many Of them persons who know no
other fear.
Twenty years ago, the writer remem
bers turning with smile to others who
shrank and cried at the peals of terri
BILE storm in country house. The glare
of bolt coming down the center Of the
room caught the eye at that very instant;
the next was an explosion that shook the
house, and insensibllity followed. Two
men IN the same room were burnt 10y the
bolt, though no Ives were lost; but /
never been able to smile at lightning
again. To give any idea of the terror left
on a nervous organization by the shock
would involve extravaganza OF terms.
But, unfortunately, so far from being
an exception, there are too many who suf-
fer the same harrassments with me. Nor
are " omen, alone, subject to this nervous
ness. knew a school superintendent
and canal contractor, man over fifty
years old, who would hide In closet in
storm, and had been known to rush
from bed with fright at lightning Many
will remember the professor at Bowdoin
College, who always retreated to the eel
lar in thunder storm, although his
house was bristling with lightning rods.
The strongest man I ever knew, who
could throw another man across the street,
and work hand-press in printing Office
as If he was part of the machine, was dis
charged as a reporter because his desk
was vacant every time there was thun-
| der storm. The mother Of Washington
was afraid Of lightning, and never failed
to retreat to her room at the first flash OF
storm, where she stayed until the last
flash had died away. The physical effects
of this fear are most depressing. One
| woman knows when a storm is coming.
| ours before, by prostratlon of strength
and spirits, accompanied by symptoms
like cholera. One of the most dauntless
young women know was sick in bed tor
hours after the great storm at Springfield,
Mass, last month. She had received a
shock of lightning years before, and
never fails to be sick in thunder stol m
since.
1 4SCdSOu duu SOuOAy VA ld"G Va
ming have done much to lessen the fear OF
it. 1t is true we live bet~ cen to maya
zines of electricity-one in the earth and
the Other in the air-and cloud charged
with electricity passing over point OF
body in IA negative condition will discharge
its surplus 10y the very quickest and most
congenial medium. which it finds in the
human body, tree or house Indifferent
iy. But it is also true that provide the
lightning with convenient and easy con-
ductor in the shape of a stout iron rod
higher than any point Of the house, and
reaching we'll into the ground, where cleo
tricity may scatter harmlessly in the
damp earth, 1t will prefer that conduct.
ing-rod to anything in its vicinity, and
people who stay inaoors in we'll protect
house are safer from lightning than any
bomb-proof from bursting shells.
Every accident from this cause l ever
knew Of came from careless exposure in
situations known to be unsafe. The first
| noticed after my own accident was that
of a missionary's daughter killed while
passing an open window, just as woman
was on Long Island last summer, while
sitting at her sewing machine. A young
mali in Maiden, think. was killed while
sitting out on porch with his char til
Led back and his head against the knob
Of the door bell making an excellent con-
nection with the bell wire. Many men
have been struck while riding into the
barn on a load of hay Many will re-
member the frightful calamity at Scran-
ton, Pa, where party of women, out
picking berries on one of the nigh hills,
crowded into deserted log hut in sud,
den storm, and seven were killed by one
bolt. Steep hills with mineral veins
crC piping out are not places for anyone
to live on who wishes to escape light
ming, and unprotected houses there are
doubly dangerous.
1t is never too soon to go In the house
when a storm is rising. When the clouds
are fully charged with electricity they arc
most dangerous, and this fluid obeys a
subtle attraction which acts at great dis
tances and all directions. A woman told
me of bolt which came down her moth
er's chimney from rising cloud when
the sun was shining overhead. n. P,
Willis writes of young girl killed while
passing under telegraph wire on the
brow of hill, while she was hurrying
home before storm. Sundays sad acct
dent at Morrisiana should warn every
mother that it Is not safe to let children
stay out of doors till the last minute be-
fore the storm falls. People should not
be fool-hardy by sitting on porches or by
open windows, whether the storm is hard
or not Mild SHOW ers often carry single
charge which falls with deadly effect. 1t
may or may not be fatal to stay out; il is
| safe to be in the house, with the windows
and doors SHUT. The dry air in a house
is reader conductor of lightning than
the damp air outside, and any draught of
air invites it.
A hot fire in a chimney attracts it, so
to speak, and it is prudent for those who
would be sure of safety to use kerosene
or gas stoves in summer, and avoid heat
ing the chimneys of the house. People
are very ignorant or reckless about light
ming. have seen girl of eighteen cry
ing with fear Of lightning, and running
every other moment to the window to see
if the storm was not abating, unconscious
that she was putting herself in danger.
| If every one would hurry to shelter as
soor as storm cloud was half way up
the sky, when certain it was coming near
er; if they would shut the doors and win
dows, and keep away from them after
ward, and from bell-wlres, stove-pipes,
mantles, chimney breasts, heaters and
mirrors, with their sllvered backs, which
carry electricity, and teep away from
lightning rods and their vicinity, and
from metal water spouts, with good rods
on their houses, they might dismiss the