Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-03
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TEIUNDElSsTOItMS.
Tho Hest Place for Sa rety.
tElias Mason in Boston Traveller
Long, loud and deep the thunder beloved"

[Elias Mason in Boston Traveller
"Long, loud and deep the thunder beloved
-BurHs.
As this is the season for the play Of
Drial electricity, and as the human body
is a good conductor for the fluid, it be-
comes every one in heavy Thunderstorm
er to seek place OF safety. A thunder
bolt, though seemingly at "the sport Of
circumstance, does move really In obe-
dience to most perfect law. In descend
ing from a surcharged cloud, it seeks the
nearest and the best conductor. 1t makes
n zigzag movement through the air be-
cause this element is bad conductor and
does all it can To resist the intruder.
The fire Of the bolt itself is but the con-
sequence of its battle with the air through
which it fights its way. Sometimes IL
bolt passes from one cloud t1 another,
and then the thunder peal is one long
continued reverberauou. But when a
bolt strikes the earth, the peal is sudden,
solid, sometimes deafening.
As sound travels at the rate Of 1l20 feet
per second, and light with such velocity
that we need not here consider it, the dis
tauce between the observer and the spot
struck by the bolt may be readily csti-
mated. 1t is done by counting the Sec
onds intervening between the flash and
the report. Thus: ii 10 seconds elapse,
the distance is II, 200 feet ii 30 seconds,
or half minute, 33, 600 feet.
In case of near and heavy discharges of
electricity, it is always unsafe to stand
beneath tree, because it is good con-
luctor or near n large rock, or mass OF
iron, or body of water, for the same reas-
on. 1t is also unsafe to stand i'll an open
field at considerable distance from any
prominent object which might serve rs Il
protector. Ii alone i'll such place, 1t
were well in an electric battle to draw
near, but not too near, to some rock, OF
tree, or body of water which would be
likely in your stead to take the bolt. Re-
fuge in barn, especially when filled with
hay and grain and cattle, should always
be avoided.
III i'll II house in heavy thunderstorm,
the doors and windows should be closed,
for lightning tends to follow an atmos.
pherc current, and hence SO many per
SONS are killed while standing i'll door
way, or while sitting ut an open window.
When lightning strikes dwelling house,
it usually goes down the chimney, or Il
corner of the building, runs along the
walls, taking bell wires, looking glasses
lamps aud other metallic articles III III
course. Hence it is always dangerous
when the storm is near, to remain i'll the
corner Of II room, or to rest against the
walls, or near stove, or lamp, or lock
ing-glass, or, indeed, any good conductor
OF electricity.
A tall tree standing close by dwell
ing-house serves us Il kind of lightning
rod yet, sometimes, the fluid leaves til,
tree MS it does Il rod, and enters the build
ing hence rooms thus exposed SHOULD
be vacated till the danger ceases. Per
haps the safest place in Il terrific thunder
storm is on hair or feather bed in TIN
centre OF IL room well closed, and wlthou
n fireplace or much metallic furniture, II
the lowest division of the house. hut
the room be carpeted, chair i'll simila
situation affords comparative safety.
The Greeks and Romans believed tina
Vulcan forged the thunderbolts for Jupi
ter, who hurled them against the head
of those he hated the Turk believes tina
whoever is to be struck by lightning ciL
be struck by lightning; but we believ'
in "the means of grace, that 1t Is Jus
as wise to use our reason to prevent beinl
killed by the red-hot bolt from heaven n
to use it to save ourselves from the flood
or fever, and that if such precaution a
: here indicated be observed, the lives o
many will be saved.