Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-10-06
LIGHTNING.

Ant time ago an issn. " - -
.' oasI lri relating the &c, circ cum
sis' ,be death Of a child from
t'''ss used by a thunder storm.
~ ,sD years of age, and having
= - "a from sleep by the thunder,
W nermlssion to share her
,ad till the storm was over.
s'ih' .afused her and she grew SO
=, her parent went to see what
80. matter She reached the
= - aside Just in time to see her
,Ocher incident Of death from
,igbtning was reported from
90 recently. The victim was
- lady who lived alone. An
.ry sharp and near flash, follow
instant crash of thunder, so
~ nc her that she fell to the floor
,,.d % though the current had
,brouch her. While cases OF
frame terror caused by light
"a rare. even rarer than death
,be shock itself, fear Of lightning
Ia intense form is by no means
cannon. 1t is a notable fact that
.,,eous and healthy men are some
- yery unpleasantly affected, If
nth fear. at all events with a
~ acute discomfort, not only
4, sharp flash and instant explo-
INT before a storm approaches.
sdog the progress of the tempest
81, discomfort increases. Some COM
.,in Of lassitude and headache before
.,orm due. doubtless, to the absence
t.,ooeip the air; others, as the flashes
,w more frequently, experience
.,,.ea and sometimes an unpleasant
,iverinp about the abdomen. These
!. symptoms that accompany acute
,ror sometimes, but the sense of fear
probably absent. How to account
n the phenomenon is not easy.
apposing that its cause is purely OBJ
Nliye. why should some people suffer
ID others escape? or why should the
ame person suffer at one time and
mst another? AS a general thing
aadren do not fear lightning or even
aunder; and adults who have long
aHged may overcome the dread in
vnous ways. A mother who would
ike refuge in a closet during a storm,
ir Instance, and give way to the most
mreasoning terror, on being warned
bmaster her fears for the sake of the
wondering child may be entirely re-
byed Of apprehension during a storm.
o. course, reason tells us that the
dance Of being killed by lightning is
Ssma as to be hardly appreciate.
According to the state census of 1875,
daing that year eighteen people were
Tiled by lightning, while forty were
murdered; 1914 committed suicide; $50
Hge drowned. 279 were killed by falls
ndS by kicks from horses and mules.
Nater therefore, is twenty times as
dangerous as lightning, and the horse
md the mule are doubly deserving Of
Ae terror which thunder storm pro-
ssEes, Moreover, it could be shown,
. doubt, that ninety per cent. of the
aaalas caused by lightning were due
2 ioolsh exposure, such as taking
auge beneath a tree or carrying an
mOrella during a thunder storm.
laee facts, or their general infer
acs are pretty well known, but they
spOwerless to prevent fright. One
Aa'lon Of the mystery is that nerves
a'Ot tone and tiaccid may be suscep-
aae to subtle influences unfelt by
@allny persons; another is that the
4eaa comes from habit rather than
ashng else, and may be overcome
7 ne exercises of win power. There
sacurrent belief that lightning never
AAes twice in the same place.
a'eAmOre, the brilliant English novel
: however, processes to have data to
HVe the contrary principe, so far as
.anan beings are concerned, namely
y person who has once been struck
-'"s q repetition of the blow. and is
greater danger than one who has
aMN