Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-13
LIGHTNING TALK.
Curious Facts Concerning the
Electric Bolt.
YOU CAN BE REASONABLY SAFE.

YOU CAN BE REASONABLY SAFE.
The Philosophers Not Yet Certain What
Electricity Is-It Has Laws and Light
ming Obeys Them, but Some of Them
Are Yet Unknown.
The summer of 1889 opens with storms,
floods and lightning strokes, which show that
man, despite his science, is still the sport OF
the elements It is, therefore, worth our
while to collect some facts on the most alarm
ing Of these phenomena, namely, thunder and
lightning, and inquire if science can give US
any assurance.
At the beginning, the anxious ones may be
at ease on two points: There is not one whit
more lightning in America than there always
was, and there are ways to greatly lessen its
danger. On these two points we have alb
solute certainty, though of nearly all Others
we are still in ignorance. We are, for in
stance, as yet uncertain as to just what lighi-
ming is-that is, in wider sense, what cleo
tricity is-and a very amusing catalogue
might be made Of the theories put forth. 1t
is found that there is an entirely new theory
about once Ia thirty years, or about three to
the century.
THE LAWS OF LIGHTNING.
We do know, however, great deal about
the methods in which the force operates, and
Il is a very curious feature of the case that
thess methods are often Of q sort which
ndghtens tie superstitious fears Of the uned-
ucated 1t is also TO be noted that while
lightning obeys tolerably well known laws,
1t yet operates occasionally in way that
t-nir lie w
Of saying that though the force is subject to
law, it is subject to all the laws Of nature,
and very often the most powerful law then
and there in operation is unknown 10 Id.
Hence the anomaly - hence the apparent
miracle Two oft cited instances may be
mentioned
A stroke Of lightning completely split one
end of q Mexican church, shattered every or
nament above and below a large image Of the
Blessed Virgin and ''passed down the upright
to which the image was attached" leaving
the image unframed. OF course, the Mexicans
were satisfied as to the cause; but the skepical
said it was the delicate robes Of the image and
the metal upright behind it. No one cGn be
certain that they were correct. At an even
ing party young lady stepped to a window
and reached out her hand to see If the rain
was falling. a bolt of lightning passed down
the front Of the house, knocked the gold
bracelet from her wrist and melted 1t, doing
her no injury except slight scorching of the
wrist. No satisfactory explanation has ever
been offered.
CONNECTION OF MOISTURE AND LIGHTNING.
A bit Of human nature comes into play
just here. 1t is very difficult to prove
g miracle, but one of the easiest things
In the world TO prove q semi-miraculoas or
very marvellous event. If terror is a large
element, the proof is still easier-get man
badly scared and he will see anything. Now
few, il any, phenomena are SO generally
as vivid lightning and crashing
when they seem very near the spec
tator. So alarming are they that the inter-
lection Thunder and-lightning has arisen
la many languages to express the sudden and
dangerous Therefore all stories Of the freaks
of lightning must be taken with caution
There are enough, however, very clearly
proved.
Lightning has its favorite localities, and
fDr this we know the reasons-at least par
tally. Electricity is developed most often
by the condensation Of aqueous vapors
When clouds form slowly in a summer sky
the development is so slow that the force is
disSipated in small amounts, without danger
and often without noise audible below-so
the people say there is no thunder. But when
the clouds rush together rapidly then the
moisture of the air Is raised TO maximum
and the electric force is developed SO rapidly
that it flies from cloud to cloud till all are
and from the clouds to the earth
In those vivid fiery bolts which often make
the stoutest man turn pale. 1t is the same
when volcano throws up invisible vapor-
lightning and thunder are frequent where
the ascending column joins the clouds In
other regions clouds cannot form thus sud
denly or gather thus rapidly, and so, in pop
ular language, these sections are said to be
free from thunder"
LOCAL. LIGHTNING CENTERS.
California, for instance, has 10 rain clouds
during half the year, and IN winter the con-
ditions are not favorable to sudden storms;
so California fears no lightning strokes. In
some of the valleys of West Virginia, on the
other hand, the lightning is terrible and all
the Ohio valley is familiar with its phenom-
ena Paterson, N. j., was once thought to
be the very play house of lightning"
Twenty buildings there were once struck
during a single storm New York city, too,
WIS lOi etiis pccuAliIl| IAttDAe " ueSkIuCtlNe
bolts, and at one time there was a standing
order that whenever vivid stroke was
noted the flremen should at once hasten 10
their engines and make ready TO answer the |
district call. They might take it for granted /
that there was fire in the city some where.
1t is believed by many that the network OF /
wires since stretched over the city has caused |
the electricity TO dissipate by slow degrees |
and therefore harmessly; but the late storms |
indicate that the old condition may return. !
W hen the lightning, some days since, struck |
the Church Of the immaculate Conception, on |
East Fourteenth street. its course was wit |
messed by many intelligent observers. They |
said that the stroke came III slant from the |
east, zigzagging but apparently aiming at |
the church, and as il struck an immense blue /
maze flashed up, out Of which two binding !
balls of fire ran down the spire base and side /
IF the church TO the ground. Instantly two
immense coping stones. one weighing fifty /