The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-08-19
Lightning Photographs.

In the New York Observer recently
was an account of . young lad on whose
breast a Balm-Of-Gilead tree was dis
tinetlyi photographed by a flash Of
lightning which struck the house where
hewas and the occurrence seemed so
singular that it is not surprising the
editors wrote. TO make sure of the fact
before giving it notice. The Observer
says: Fs1 arasr- -aa p Gees 3
Such lightning marks are very I'M
common. But still we have many re-
| corded instances of their occurrence.
/ In l7S6, Messrs. BOsSut and Leroy re-
ported 10 the French Academy of
/ Science a case of this kind, which they
endeavOred to account for by surprising
the lightning in its passage through the
body had forced the blood into the YES
sells of the skin. so that the ramifica-
tons of these vessels were visible. And
at a later date, Arago adopted the
same explanation in regard TO two per-
sons who were struck by lightning near
poplar tree, the branches of which
seemed marked on their breasts. though
in both eases strong doubt was thrown
on their theory, from the fact that the
pictures on the skin so perfectly resem-
bled trees rather than the branching of
the veins.
In 1912, in village in Somersetshire,
England, six sheep were killed by light
ming and on the skin of each, says
Chamber Journal, was found a very
accurate description of the tree under
which the animals had taken refuge.
At later date. SignOr Orioi brought
before a scientific congress at Naples
four cases of lightning prints-one Of a
sailor who was struck dead on board
his vessel and on whose back was the
distinct impression of the horseshoe
that was fixed at the head of the fore
mast which was struck; the second of
Il sailor. in q somewhat similar position,
who was struck by lightning. and on
whose breast was the number A, an
almost exact representative of q num-
Der Il at the end of one of the masts;
the third, of young man who had on
a girdle with several gold coins in it,
the images of which were imprinted by
the lightning on his skin in the order
they occupied in the girdle; and the
fourth, of an Italian lady who was sit
flowers, the image of which was per-
fectly reproduced or printed on her leg,
where it remained permanently.
In the West Indies, in 1858, a little
girl. standing at window near maple
tree, being struck by lightning. had an
image of tree imprinted on her body;
and in another case, q boy climbing a
tree to steel birds nest had on his
breast an image of the tree, with the
nest on one OF its branches, made by
the lightning which struck him. DIR.
Franklin tells us of similar case in
l7S6; and Mr.. POsy. in one of the
French scientific journals. mentions
twenty-four Northumberland cases of
lightning impressions on the bodies of
men and animals. Eight of these were
impressions of trees, one of Il bird. one
of COW, four of crosses, three of cir
c!es or of coins carried about on the
person, two of horse shoes, one of q
nail, one OF q metal comb and one of an
arm chair.
But one case more would mention.
and that known to the writer, and oc-
curing in Hartford, Conn, some sixty
years age. A MIR. Isham, respectable
merchant of that place, was walking in
the street, when a sudden and violent
thunder shower came up. The light
ming struck house, the fash coming
from the east of large oak tree, on the
west of which Mr. Isham was walking
and on the west of which, still further
on, was the house that was struck. The
flash threw Mr.. Isham to the ground,
and when takeE up he was ut first
thought to be dead. But after time
as they dashed cold water over him, he
revived, and lived afterwards in good
health for several years. But rs the eff
feet of the lightning, perfect image of
the oak tree was found photographed
OH his breast, but reversed, as in the
case of the lad mentioned in the paper,
and as in the ordinary negatives of the
photograph. The copy of the tree
seemed perfect, looking very much as
if made with bluish-black India ink 1t
was seen by large numbers of persons,
but how long it remained is not remem-
bered.
Since that time the writer has seen
two accounts of similar occurrences
one in Georgia, where the tree i'm
printed on the person struck was an
oak; and the other in North Carolina,
in which case the tree was pine.
Who can satisfactorily explain such
hitherto unexplained occurrences?