The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-10-04
LIGHYNING'S ODD FREAKS.
SOME OF THE PECULIAR FRANKS or
The FLUID.

NUreo R1uue 81 AAIntMhMI
story from Paris- CrfppIss Cured ard
objects Photographed BY lightning
some Extraordinary Phsnsmena.
There was belief among the Etrus-
cans that there were three kinds of light
ning--one incapable of doing any injury,
one more harmful in its nature and con-
sequently only to be issued with the
consent of quorum Of twelve gods. .
third carrying disaster in its train and
for which regular decree was required
from the highest divinities. Curiously
enough modern scientists have also de-
creed that lightning is of three kinds.
The first comprehends that In which the
discharge Inanifests itself in q long,
luminous line bent into angles and zig
rags This kind is known as forked
lightning. The second differs from the
first in its range Of surface over which
the fash il diffused, and il called sheet
lightning, and the third class has been
made the subject Of wide discussion and
contention 1t never assumes the form
Of long lines nor Of sheets of flame. but
appears as balls or Jumps of fire. They
are not momentary apparitions, but last
several seconds and burst with a bright
fare and loud report. and occasionally
discharge flashes of lightning. A school
master in Ohio whose school was struck
during recent storm declared that he
saw q ball OF fire strike and roll down
the flagstaff of the school house, and the
ball cansed a panic among the scholars.
A singular story comes from Paris. A
tailor who lived on the Rue st. Jacques
was eating his dinner one day during .
thunder storm when he heard loud
clap and saw the chimney board fall ont
and globe of fire as big as man had
come quietly out and moved about the
room few feet above the floor. After
moving slowly about the ball went back
into the chimney and a moment later
there was loud explosion which com
pletely shattered the chimney. A great
many years ago the southwest pinnacle Of
an old church in Breog, in Cornwall.
was demolished by stroke of lightning
and one stone, weighing 800 pounds, was
hurled upward and in southerly direc-
tion q distance Of 100 yards, and second
was sent in a northerly direction 100
yards, and third 100 yards to the east
In the forest Of Wemoun tree was
once struck and two pieces torn from its
trunk. The smaller of the two pieces
was tossed distance Of twenty feet, and
the larger. which it took eighteen men to
move, was tossed twenty feet IN an oppo-
pite direction
In 1857 the topmast Of the fishing
schooner William and Mary, of Swamps-
rate, Mass. was hit by flash and cut
into chips and since that time three
coasting schooners have had the same
experience. A British ship while cross
ing the North Pacific Ocean from China
was struck by ball Of globular light
ming which left such a sulphurous odor
behind it that the crew was Obliged to
take to the rigging in order to avoid
suffocation. This odor after an explo-
sion occurred recently in Cuba when
large company of laborers on tobacco
plantation were obliged to take to the
woods in order to avoid it
The magnetic effects produced by
lightning are often very singular indeed.
A chest containing a large assortment Of
knives and cutlery was recently struck in
a carpenter shop in Chicago and all of
the articles were at once magnetized.
And shoemaker in Swabia had his tools
treated in the same way, to his great
annoyance, as he had to be constantly
freeing his hammer from his avis and
nails which were always getting caught
as they lay together on his bench. And
some years ago Genoese ship was
wrecked near Algiers in consequence of
the lightning having played pranks with
the compass and the captain surprising
that he was sailing to the north instead
of to the south.
Another class of effects caused by
lightning are cures. Gouty men have
been enabled to walk freely, epileptic
persons have been healed and rheumatism
has been cured by flash. On the other
hand the effects of magnetic lightning
are harmless. Three hundred persons
were once struck in Charleston prison
and completely robbed of their muscular
strength.
There is still another phenomena pro-
duced by lightning and this is the light
ming prints. Mr.. Poly, who has treated
the subject Of lightning prints very fully
in the pages of the French scientific
journals, mentions twenty four cases of
the impression on the bodies of men and
animals. Of these eight are of trees or
parts of trees, one of bird and one of
cow, two of horseshoes, one of nail,
one of a metal comb, four of crosses.
Crosses in this connection are very old,
for it was declared that in the year 36O
A. D. they were printed on the bodies
and clothing of the workmen who were
employed in rebuilding the Temple Of
Jerusalem.
A horseshoe was found indeIibly
marked on the neck of young man
IN Cuba who was struck dead by light
ming near house upon the walls of
which horseshoe was nailed.
In 1858 q little girl was standing at a