The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-07-01

New Theory OF Lightning Strokes.
Professor Colladon. of Geneva, has
made some interesting observations on
the course of lightning when it strikes
trees and houses. He holds that the
great discharges which iniure trees and
houses seldom or never happen while
the fghtning has an un0bstructed
eoarse which it has along the thin up
per branches of trees, where birds and
their nests are often left quite uniniur-
Ell by its descent. But it Is Were the
electric current reaches the thick stem
that the tree becomes a worse and
worse conductor: and It is here there-
fore. that the tree is what is called
S5uet IL e. here that the electricity,
failing to find an unohstTucLel channel
to the earth. accumulJteS In masses,
and giyes out shocks which reud the
tree. Aud the same is true Of houses
whose lirhtninr-clndUcjOr stop short
OF the ground. Professor Culladou has
also shown that the close ueighhorhOod
of a pool Of water is great attraction
To the electric current, and that the
electricity often passes down house
orftree Till it Is near enough 70 dart
straight across to the water; and he
thinks that. where possible, lightning
conductors should end in spring or
pool of water. Professor COLLATION. be-
iievcs that lightning deScendS rather in
u shower through multitude Of vines,
for instance in the same vineyard chan
in single main stem. Ii divides itself
among all the upper branches of q tree,
and is received from hundreds of at
mOspheric points at once instead Of. rs
has been usually supposed, from one.
Electricity is a rain, number of tribu-
t3ries from wide surface, nOt-a single
torrent. -.
On Mr.. TennisOn's Last Poem.
Why should we be called upon to adj
mirc such stuff rs this? The poet aud
his friends may say that we have
missed. or mIsapprehended his e. sub
lie meaning; but we lave caught il.
perfectly and affirm thab thers IS 40
Subtleness in it-that it is a mere com
monpIace, put into the poorest and
most unmeloJious language. 10 lacks
rhythm. rhyme and everything that
goes To make up true poetry. 1t is the
sort of thing which would not be aC-
cepted from a s.hoOlboy and which
when put forth by laureate in c0IJs-
sal type suggests moTnlul reflections
as to the state Of intellectual degenera-
ton at which q GREAT poet mTv arrive.
Mr. TcnnysOn and NJ. Victor Hugo are
both great men. They have written
things which are beautiful and admira-
bic in every way; which viii long be
quoted for the encouragement Of those
who are inclined to seek their inspira-
tionS for the higher conduct of their
everyday lives in poetry. But that is
no reason why they should now be
privileged to write waddle-thergbV
setting perniciOus example to Younger
writer's. who may be tempted to initiate
their mannerims without having the
geuius requisite to vie with them in
their finer qualities. WedO not want
a rising race OF poets who shall weary
us with blank verses, (blank sense and
rhythm) or dose us with localities
- personalities and e. realities" We
do not want mysticism pushed to a
point where it becomes mere foolish
ness. A single drop of water boiled
may send forth q good deal of steam: 50
may one single, poor idea be cloUded
in a great deal OF yerbiage. But the
art of poetry consists in clothing great
ideas in such words as shall make
them shine forth as if they had
the clear light of noon day biaz-
ing on them. Verses which are
written in a nude delirious tongue
which requires great deal Of Parsmg
and constituting are not poetry at all.
They are trouble to read and a puzzle
to understand. They are neither poe
try nor prose; they are nothing. Pill
I'LL K.LL-.LL-