Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-06-25
Faar Of I,irht1inr.

Fear Ct lightning.
TT.on the Hartford TimcS.l
Twenty years ago the writer remembers
turning with Il smile to others who shrln!
and cried at the pcais of Il terrible storm
in country house. Tie glare OF bon
coming down the centre of thc room
caught the eye AZ that very instant the
next there was IN explosion that SHOOK
the house, and inscnsiblity followed,
Two men in the same room wcT' burned
bv the bolt, though TO lives were lost,
bnt have never been able to smile nj
lightning since. To give any idea "f the
terror felt on a nervous organization 10y
the shock would involve cXtravaGancc ni
terms.
But, unfortunately, So far from bein@
an exception, there are too many VINO
suffer the same cmljarrassments with me.
Nor are women alone subject to tins ner-
vnusncss. knew Il school Saperihtchd-
ent and canal contractor, man over hitN,
with n LARGE family. who would hide III a
closet. in Il storm and had been known to
rush from his bed with frghtat lightning.
Many Will remember the Professor ol
Eow,ioin College, who always re'reated
to the cellar in Il thunderstorm. although
his house was bristling with lightning
rods. The strongest man l ever knew,
who could throw another man across the
street. and work Il hand press IN PRINT
ing Office rs If he were part oi the nnG-
chine, was discharged as a reporter be-
cause his desk was vacant every time
there was n thunderstorm. The mother
of Washington was afraid of lightning,
and never failed to retreat to her room at
the first flash of Il storm, where sh" stay
ed till the last flash died away. The
physical effects of the fear Is most de
pressing. One woman knows when Il
storm is coming hours before by a pros
traiion of strength and spirits, accom-
panied with symptoms like cholera. One
Of the most dauntless Young women J
know was sick in bed for hours after the
crca! storm Mt Springfield, Mass, last
wear. She had received Il shock OF light
ming wears before, and never FAILS 10 h2
i'll in thunderstorm sincS.
Reason and study Of the laws Df hight
ming have done much to lessen the fears
of L. 1t is trlc we live between two
magazines Of cicctrciiy-one III the
earth and the other in the ar-aBd II
clond charged with electricity passing
over a point OF body i'll Il negative candi-
ton will discharge its surplus blythe very
quickest and most cnuGcnial medium,
which It finds in the human body, Il tree
OF l.ausa indItfarcntly. But II Is also
trilc that. provide tic lightning with Il
convenient and easy conductor, in thc
shape If a stnut iron rod higher than any
point OF q house and reaching "elfllto
the ground, where electricity may scatter
halml, ly into the damp earth. II VIII
prefer that canduchn" rod to anything III
It's vicinity. and people who stay indoors
in well protected house are safer from
lightning than any bom5-proof from
bursting shells. Every accident from
this cause ever knew Of came from
careless cyposrlre in situations known TO
hr unsafe. The first | noticed after my
own arr:drnt was that of Il missionary :
JalIr'ter who WAS killed while passing
nm nngn window. lust rs a woman WAS on
Inu.e Island last summer while sittin" al
her sewing machine. 4 Young man IN
Maiden. | think. was killed while sitting
on = p,...i With his chair tipped back and
his head AGAINST the knob of do0r-hcll.
Il. ,ine al excellent connection with the
he'll wire. Many men have been struck
while riding into barn on . load of hay.
MANY will remember the frightful calam-
IT.. Il: Scranton, Penn. where Il party of
women. ont picking berries "n one Of the
high hills. crowded into icacrtcd log
hat in . s:l,!dcn storm. and seven We're
LIlied by on bolt. Steep hills with min
cral VEINS c.upping ont are not places for
persons to iive on who wish to escape
lightning. and unprotected honscs there
are doubiy dangerous.
1t is never too soon to 90 in the house
when a storm is rising. When the clouds
are fully charged with electricity they
are most dangerous. and the fluid u5cys 4
el!,nio Gitrar'ioa rlii~!. act Il -,reat as
taEces in all directions. y woman tod
ne o. a bolt which came down her moth
cr's chimney from rising cloud Whrh
the sun Was shining overhead. y L.
Willis writes OF q young glri WHO was
killed while passing undcr Telegraph
wire or the brow of hill, while she was
hurrylng home before a storm. Inc SAT
acrlicnt NJ Morrlsanla, "heh Nv" cilid-
rcn were Killed, should warn ever! hioth-
or that II is not safe to let children stay
out of doors till the last minute beior"
the storm falls. People should not he
foolharjy about sitting on porches or ny
open windows, whether the storm Is hard
or not Mild showers often carry a Single
charge which falls with deadly elect IL