The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1884-11-27
THUNDERBOLTS.


THUNDERBOLTS.
Some Information In Regard to Them.
A little girl named Florence asked
the Leeds England) Mercury for in
formation concerning q thunderbolt,
and received the following reply:
We are afraid that an explanation
which would satisfy Florence cannot be
given. In the first place, the learned
men who have endeavored to find out
the cause of thunderbolts are not agreed
in the matter; and in the next, it is not
easy to state the results of their inves-
LEGATIONS in terms which a little girl
would understand. We may, howev-
er, be able to tell her something about
thunderbolts which she does not know.
She has no doubt observed that there
is more than one kind of lightning.
Perhaps she has noticed on a summer
evening flashes which spread over a
large portion of the sky, or which only
gild the margin of the cloud from which
they come. In all probability there
was then no accompanying thunder,
and, there being little danger to fear,
she has very likely looked on amazed as
the heavens were now and again lit up
with the rosy or violet colored flame.
That is called sheet-lightning. and is
not so much dreaded as the other kind,
which is seen during violent storms,
and which is named forked-lightning,
being long, luminous line, which
breaks into two and sometimes into
three branches, and takes a zigzag
form. This is the kind of lightning
which generally does the damage,
shattering church spires, splitting great
trees, and killing instantly persons who
are unfortunately struck by it.
Then there is third kind, and it is
that about which Florence desires in
formation, and it differs so much from
the other two sorts that some of the
learned men, called meteorologists,
who have studied the matter, are not
quite sure whether it should be called
lightning. 1t neither appears in long
lines or sheets of flame, but as balls or
Jumps of lire. And there is this pecu-
harity about it, which is very remarka-
BILE. 1t does not appear for a moment,
like the sheet or forked lightning. but
it takes its own time and seems in no
hurry. We dare say Florence, like q
great many of her elders, has thought
that nothing travelled faster than a
thunderbolt. The ordinary flash of
lightning does travel fast. Although
it may 60 right across the sky it does
not occupy the thousandth part of a
second in doing so; but the lightning
which appears in the form Of balls has
been seen moving about at very leis-
urely pace. The following story is
told by writer who has taken great
interest in such matters:
One summer day terrible thunder
storm happened at Milan, and gen.
tleman sitting in his room had his at
tention attracted by the noise which a
few people in the street were creating.
He rose, and looking out of the win
dow, saw a globe of fire moving along
little above the ground, and eight or
ten persons in chase of the meteor.
By running at quick pace they were
able to keep up with it, aud the gentle
man ran out and joined them. 1t NOV
ed onward at the same steady rate for
about three minutes, and then it came
in contact with the tower of a church
and, exploding, disappeared. A still
stranger story is told about one of
these balls of fire, which presented it.
self to tailor in town in France
some years ago. The French Academy
of Science considered it such singu-
lar occurrence that they appointed a
learned gentleman to inquire into it..
This is what the gentleman ascertained:
There was thunderstorm going on,
and while tho tailor was sitting in his
house at dinner the chimney-board fell
down. This took place Immediately
after loud thunder-clap had been
heard. The tailor thought that the
board must have been overset by gust
of wind; and yet there was little wind
at the time. Immediately afterward a
globe of fire, about the size of child s
head, came out of the aperture and
moved slowly about the room, little
above the floor. 1t was bright and
shining, but the tailor found no heat
from t. For several seconds it played
about his feet, and he was able to get a
good look at it. 1t then rose to the
height of his head and moved toward a
hole in the chimney above the mantel-
piece. The hole was that into which
the stovepipe was fixed, but the stove
not being in use the hole was pasted
over with paper. The ball went straight
to the aperture and made its way up
the chimney. When it reached the top,
as the tailor supposed, terrible ex-
plosion occurred and the upper part OF
the chimney was destroyed. The frag-
ments of the chimney fell upon the
roofs of smaller buildings and went
through them. Both these stories are
told by writer in whom one can place
confidence.
Of course all balls of fire do not be-
have in such extraordinary ways, and
yet they are very strange things. There
is nothing that the student Of nature
finds it more difficult to explain, and
we fear Florence would not be any
wiser if we were to tell her what the
learned gentlemen think to be the
cause of thunderbolts. We will not,
therefore, trouble her with their some
what abstruse explanations.