Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-07-21
LIGHTNING.

People who tenr the Electric Car
rent-Gunrding against lightning
Strokes.
Nearly twenty years ago the writer
remembers turning with smile to
others who shrank and cried ut the
peals Of q terrible storm in y country
house. Tie glare Of bolt coming
down the centre of the room caught
the eye at every instant; the next
there was an explosion that shook the
house, aud insensibility followed. Two
men in the same room were burned
by the bolt, though No lives were
lost, but I have never been able to
smile at lightning since. 10 give
any idea Of the terror felt on nervous
organization by the shock would in
volve extravaganza OF terms
But unfortunately so far from be.
ing an ., cepion, there are too many
who suffer the same harrassments
with me. Nor are women alone sub
ject to this nervousness. knew q
school superintendent and canal con-
tractor, a man over City, with n large
family, who would hide in n closet in
a storm, and had been known 10 rush
from bis bed with fright at lightning.
Many will remember the professor Of
Bowdoin college, who always retreat
ed to the cellar in a thunderstorm, al
though his house was bristling with
lghtning-rods. The strongest man
l ever knew, who could throw anoih-
er man across the street, and work =
band-press in printing office, as !!
be were a part OF the machine, was
discharged as reporter because his
desk was vacant every time there was
a thunderstorm. 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 till the last flash died away.
The physical effects of this fear are
most depressing. One woman knows
when storm is coming hours before
by prostva,ion ofstrength aid spirits
accompanied with symptoms like
cholera. One of the most 5auntless
young women know was sick in
bed for hours after the great storm at
Springfield, Mass, last year. She had
received a shock of lightning years be-
fore, and never fails 10 be i'll in thun.
der storm ever since.
Reason and study Of the laws of
lightning have done much to lessen
the fears of it. If is true we live be-
tween two magazines of electricity
one in the earth and the other in the
air-and cloud charged with elec-
tricity passing over point or body in
negative condition will discharge its
surplus by the very quickest an most
congenial medium, which it finds in
the human body, tree or house il1-
differently. Bnt it is also true that
provide the lightning with a conven-
lent and easy conductor, in the shape
of a stout Iron rod higher than any
point of house and reaching we'll
into the ground, where electricity may
scatter harmlessly into the damp earth
it will prefer that conducting rod to
anything in lis vicinity, and people
who stay indoors i'll a well protected
house are safer from lightning, than
any bomb proof from bursting shells.
Every accident from this cause / ever
knew of came from careless exposure
in situations known 10 be unsafe. The
first noticed after my own accident
was that of q missionary's daughter,
who was killed while passing an open
window, just as woman was on Long
Island, last summer while sitting at
her sewing machine. A young man
in Maiden, l think was killed while
sitting on porch with his chair tip
ped back end his head against the
knob of a door-bell, making an excel
lent connection with the bell wire.
Many men have been struck while