The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-28
ELECTRIC EVENTS.
Curious Facts Concerning the
Electric Bolt.
YOU CAN BE REASONABLY SAFE.
The Philosophers Not Yet Certain What Elec
tricity ls-It Has Laws and Lightning
0beys Them.

hSoplIC LIS SClCLCO, - StLAl OA1O IA
the elements. 1t 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 light
ming is-that is in wider sense, what cleo
tricity is-and q very amusing catalogue
might be made of the theories put forth It
is found that there is an entirely new theory
about once in thirty years, or about three to
the century.
THE LAWS OF LIGHTNING.
We do know, however, a great deal about
the methods in which the force operates, and
it is very curious feature of the case that
these methods are often Of a sort which
heightens the superstitious fears of the uned-
ucated. 1t is also to be noted that while
| lightning obeys tolerably well known laws,
it yet operates occasionally in way that
seems anomalous, which is only another way
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 20 us,
Hence the anomaly - hence the apparent
miracle. Two oft cited instances may be
mentioned.
A stroke OF lightning completely split one
end of 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 skeptical
said it was the delicate robes of the image and
the metal upright behind it. No one can be
certain that they were correct. At an even
ing party young lady stepped to 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 it, 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
miracle, but one Of the easiest things
in the world to prove a semi-miraculous or
very marvellous event. If terror is large
element, the proof is still easier-get man
badly scared and he will see anything. Now
few, if any, phenomena are SO generally
alarming as vivid lightning and crashing
thunder when they seem very near the spec
tator. So alarming are they that the inter
lection ''Thunder-and-lightning has arisen
in 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
for 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 beiow-so
the people say there is no thunder. Butwhen
the clouds rush together rapidly then the
moisture of the air is raised to a maximum
and the electric force is developed SO rapidly
that it flies from cloud to cloud till all are
equalized, and from the clouds to the earth
in those vivid fiery bolts which often make
the stoutest man turn pale. It 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 CEHTE2S.
California, for instance, has no rain clouds
during half the year, and in winter the con-
l.. !
so California fears no lightning strokes. In
some of the valleys of West Virginia, on the
oGher 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 single storm New York city, too,
was for years peculiarly liable to destructive
bolts, and at one time there was a standing
order that whenever a vivid stroke was
noted the fremen should at once hasten to
their engines and make ready to answer the
district call They might take it for granted
that there was fire in the city somewhere.
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 harmlessly; but the late storms
indicate that the old condition may return
When 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 in a slant from the
east, zigzaggihg but apparently aiming at
the church, and as it struck an immense blue
haze flashed up, out of which two binding
balls of fire ran down the spire base and side
of the church to the ground Instantly two
immense coping stones, one weighing fifty
pounds and the other 800, rolled down the
sloping roof and the other stones of the bel
fry 1.-THE part strucso ratified down in frag-
menrs on the roof.
BRAVE CONGREGATION.
About $50 persons were in the immense
church, mostly ladies, who had gathered for
a society meeting, and Father John Edwards
and two assistants were hearing confession
The bearing of the people was remarkably
cool. There was a faint cry and shrinking at
the terrible shock, shivering murmur as the
stones ratified upon the roof, then perfect
quiet till the priest dismissed the congrega-
ton, and they went out as orderly as on a
quiet Sabbath morning. Almost at the same
instant several places in neighboring cities
were struck, and in Jersey City a large oil
tank was set on fire. In Newark six places
we're struck.
Very little is known of the essential nature
of what is called electricity For a gener-
alton the books spoke of it as a ''fiuid,"
and there were long disputes as tc whether
It was single or double-one fluid or two.
This was settled by discovering that it is not