Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-07
LIGHTNING -STROKES
CAUSES OF THE SEVERE THUNDER
STORMS OF MODERN TIMES.

Effects OF the Vast Volumes Of Smoke
and vapors Thrown Out into the At
mosphere-A Question OF Practical I'm
Portance-Theory Of Thunderstcrma.
Karsten Weber, and others have proved that
the number Of damaging strokes Of lightning
has considerably increased during the last
fifty years, and this increase can not be
explained by the theory that, owing to the
growing number. Of houses, factories, etc
the number Of lightning strokes increased
proporticnately; to the contrary, this num-
Der ought to decrease, a. every building,
even when not protected by lightning rod,
effects an equilibrium of the opposite cleo
trio potentials, and, therefore, the number
of lightning strokes ought relatively to de-
crease with the relative number Of build
ings This, indeed, is proved by the fact
that In the space Of one year among l0O, 0o0
buildings there occurred but thirteen cases
of lightning strokes in cities, against twenty
three strokes on buildings in the country.
We, therefore, have to take this natural phs-
nomenon from another point Of view, and
to consider the ratio of damaging or other
strokes to the number of buildings in a GER
tain district This ratio, called by the Ger
man naturalists bhtzgefahr danger from
lightning,) increased in the kingdom Of Ba-
varia from 1874 to 1882 threefold according
to records of insurance companies even five
fold,) and other countries show the same in
crease.
OF GREAT PRACTICAL IMPORTANCE.
As in nature each phenomenon must have
its cause, the question arises, To what
cause il due the above mentioned factsl
And this question not only is Of scientific in
terest, but also Of great practical importance.
A great many theories have already been
advanced to explain this phenomenon;
among others, that, owing to the decrease
of the woodland, houses arc more and more
made the projecting points of q certain Urea,
and, therefore, attract the lightning; be-
sides, this decrease effects greater rise of
temperature in summer, and, in consequence,
more numerous thunder-storms. Others
end the cause of it in the large increase OF
such constructions as gas and water works,
weather cocks, etc. But this theory docs
not explain why, especially, country houses,
which commonly lack these kind Of con-
structions, are mostly exposed to danger
from lightning Admitting that these
causes may to some extent explain the in
crease of danger from lightning, they are
not sufficient to fully show the surprising
increase of strokes during SO short period
There must be more general and funda-
mental cause. Through what con the
electrical intensity during thunder storm
be SO strongly increased that q larger num-
Der of lightning strokes pass over to the
earth than was the case heretofore, It is
not 80 much the increasing number Of thun-
der-storms as their greater force which pro-
ducss the increased danger.
As the main cause we now point out the
enormous increase, during the last fifty
years, of factories, railroads, steamboats,
in short, of all constructions filling the at
mosphere with smoke, vapors and particles
Of dust of overy description. When We con-
slider that every day thousands OF locomo-
tives, thousands of steamers go around the
earth, that thousands Of factories Of all
kinds daily emit enormous quantities Of
smoke, vapor aud dust into the air, that, es-
pecially in cities, the large number Of
houses produce immense quantities o. smoke
and dust, the assertion will not seem incred-
ibe that there is certainly 100 times the
smoke, dust, and gases absorbed in tho at
mosphere than was fifty years ago. Al
ready with the naked eye the impure state
of the atmosphere may be noticed Go
through the coal districts OF Manchester,
England. through those of Pennsylvania,
through the cities OF Essen and Fittsburg,
and you will notice n layer of vapor con-
stantly lowering over them; the air is filed
with foul gases, and every object is more
or less covered with the settling particles of
dust
THE THEORY or A THUNDERSTORM.
These conditions being established, we
have TO consider their relations to the VIC
lence of thunierstorms To give the reader
q better conception of this relation we will
br efiy discuss the theory of the thunder
storm and the origin Of electricity thereby
developed Friction IS now generally ac-
ceptcd to he the cause OF the electricity in q
Thunderstorm. Friction between air and
PARTICLES of ice according to Luvine), or be-
tween air and molecules OF water according
to Andres, is the main cause of that cleo
tricity When besides these factors parti-
cles OF dust are filing the atmosphere the
development of electricity is highly IN
creased. 1t is the election Of steam AMI
ashes common to the phenomenon which
causes the thunder storms attending it to
assume an exceedingly violent character.
That the pyramid of Cheops il rendered
electrical by the whirling dust of the desert
may here also be mentioned II is nothing
but the friction of the grains Of sand on tho
surface Of the pyramid that causes electric
ity to originate
The author of this essay claims that the
rapid, enormous, and lasting development
of electricity during thunderstorms can not
be otherwise explained than by q purely
mechanical cause, analogous to the mechan-
ical force of the hydro electrical machine.
Now, as our atmosphere contains so much
more dust than in former years the fact
must be Of great influence regarding the in
tensity Of electrical phenomena during thun-
derstorms; from the same reasoning are sx-
planned volcanic eruptions That this in
creased force Of thunderstorms must mani
fest itself in the greater violence and q more
character Of ightning strokes, will
be evident to tho reader. But there Is another
cause to he mentioned 1t Is an established
fact that air containing solid particles has q
power in regard to electric cur
rents far superior to that Of pure air. In
our day, therefore, where these molecules of
dust and solid particles ill the atmosphere
to a greater extent, the latter has become a
better conductor, and favors n direction of
the lightning strokes toward the more inn
pure layers in the vicinity of the earth. and,
the earth itself Chicago Times
A Quartetts Il Church Singers.
It does not always result pleasantly to
look into the individuality Of those who
are doing something in church. That was
what thought at st. Paul's after l had
sought place from which could
discover who was in the quartette Of sing
ers. Trinity keeps large corps Of vocal
lists to sing in the nine houses Of worship
which the parish maintains in different
sections OF the city. and assignments OF
voices are made to suit the varying ne
luirements. On this occasion the result
was unsteady excellent The clear sweet
hess OF the soprano. the soft melody Of the