Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-03-24
LIGHTNING STRIKES
TO RELIEVE THE ELECTRICAL TEN.
SION OF THE ATMOSPHERE.

eAS IA OPHOo1S0 CA6xk6 ON
the ground below. These two opposite
charges, one of positive" the other Of
negative" electricity, tend, BY another
well known property Of electricity, to rush
toward each other and combine. Hence
when they are able to overcome the resist
ance of the air between, which keeps
them apart, they leap together with a flash
and crack, producing the familiar phe-
nomena Of thunder and lightning.
Sometimes another cloud floating near
the first n takes the place Of the earth,
and then the lightning flash takes place
between them. Lightning Of this kind
does not strike the earth; but it might
have q destructive effect on the latter for
all that, because it might give rise to the
'back stroke" which is sometimes fatal
to life. The ''back stroke" Is not due to
the direct fash and discharge. It is
rather the reaction after the direct dis.
charge has taken place elsewhere. Sup
pose, for example, that q track Of upland
country, a rural district with trees, farms,
and here and there a church dotting 1t, IS
covered by a thunder cloud, which induces
q charge Of electricity upon it. In order
that the charge upon the earth may get
nearer to that upon the cloud, SO as to
combine with 1t, the electricity, by another
well known property, will heap itself on
the most prominent and pointed objects of
the landscape. That is to say, it will &C.
cumulate on the trees, barns, chimney
tops and spires Of the district.
The whole atmosphere Of the region is
in a state Of tension and suspense. Tho
bolt is trembling In the balance, but no
man knows where 1t will fall. Presently
there is q binding flash of light, the sky
is rent with a lurid stream of fire, and in
stantly the tension Is relieved. The dis
charge has taken place at one point, the
point which offers the path of least resist
ance through the air, and at which the
electric tension was most critical. At
every other place where the electricity
had seriously accumulated, there is con-
seQuently a sudden fall Of electric poten-
| tial, or a collapse to its old condition, or,
as 1t is called, q return stroke" This
instantaneous change Is sometimes as
fatal as the direct discharge, and it MAY
ruin q building or destroy life several
miles from the scene of the flash. The
return stroke Is therefore more mysterious
and unexpected than tho flash, but fatal
effects are comparatively rare from it.
Nevertheless, since the latter have been
attributed to this cause, a person cannot
feel quite safe, although a thunder storm
with lightning is still several miles from
him; the number OF miles being estimated
by counting the seconds which elapse be-
tween the flash and tho peal, and allow
ing a distance Of four miles for every
second counted. He may feel safer than
If it were close upon him, but there is still
some room for fear.
In fact there is no real safety except
within the area properly protected by II
lightning conductor, or in n building
which is itself a protector, for instance n
sheet iron house. Every building, then,
should be protected in order to BIO safe.
Isolated, a lightning rod would be required
for each; but in towns Il rod would
sometimes protect moro than ono house
around it, according to its height and con-
ductivity.
Tho flash takes place ut the point of
least resistance, because it is here that the
" opposite electricities can easiest rush
together. But tho eagerness with which
they tend to rush together is another
thing to be considered. These two things
taken together determine the discharge.
There may be less resistance to the flash
at one house or tree than at another, but
II tho attraction between the opposite
electricitics is less at the former, the flash
may traverse the latter house. Hence
n CANNOT exactly say If one tree or
building will be safer than another. There
Is great uncertainty, and this is a reason
for the instinct of 1--WE and uneasincss
| which most animals feel on the approach
| Of O thunder storm.
In general, however, we can say that
high houses, or those perched on high
| ground, are more likely to suffer from the
discharge than small low lying houses.
Tho former are therefore all the more eli
gible for protection; and they arc to DO
avoided In seeking shelter from q storm.
So are houses surrounded by trees, and
with ponds or pools Of water close beside
them. Fol trees act as imperfect light
ming rods, having a good earth connection,
and especially II they are wet the dis
charge may strike the house in order to
case of the pond, through the water. One
should not shelter under trees Of any
kind, but more especially tall, soft trees
}tke poplars. Many deaths have been in
Cured from shelteriDg under poplar trees
In France.
Thunder storms are said to be more
frequent n open, treeless countries, such
as the Transvaal or the Scottish hills, and
the fact has been attributed to the un
checked ascent Of electrical vapors; but
ON the other hand they are probably less
destructive In such countries.
Chimneys, by creating currents of warm
smoke and by their lining of conducting
SCOT, are dangerous parts Of houses, and
there are many instances of the discharge
taking that road. 1t were better, then, to
avoid sitting near q fire In o storm. In
| deed, the safest place in the house on such
an occasion would seem to be in the cellar
and basement rooms or upon an iron bed
stead. In the open air there cannot be a
safer place han a dry hole or ditch, for It
places the body below the surface of tho
ground, and therefore not exposed on q
prominent place. But it should be O dry
hollow, else the water in it may invite the
discharge; for water, being a conductor in
| good connection with the earth, lowers
the resistance to the Observation-Disclosures
ing.
A judicial testers Latest.
Judge Gary, the judicial Jester, has been
making his friends laugh with q new
joke. Have you heard Of the latest alb
stract scheme? OF course you have not,
and your curiosity concerning It is stimu-
lated to an extraordinary degree by the
solemn, almost mysterious air Of the
Judge, who asks You the question. "Weu,"
he says, after you have pressed him to
tell you, 1--WE are getting up q company
that will prepare a complete set Of books
from the records Of the courts, and be
ready to furnish abstracts of titles to men
and women. Say a woman wants to