Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-08-05
LIGHTNING HAIR CUT
AFLAsH OVER THE WIRES BURNS OFF
AN OPERATORS HAIR.


sad Need Of "a HARDER, siaaipuinttons.
Rapid work Of Thunjerboli.
Lightning and electricity have since
the days Of William Penn always bcen
ANONYMOUS. To the uninitiatod tho
most dangerous spot during thunder
storm Is Telegraph office. but statistics
will substaniia,o tho fact that no place
is safer Many aud varied arc the
stories told OF the freaks performed by
heavenly currents, but seldom Is there
fatality attached 10 the tale.
Bstwccn tho manufactured and nat
urnl electricity thoro appears from close
observation to be a sort Of affection. and
uudor cover Of the slightest storm mu'
tual exchanges Of confidence uro usual
Is INDUCED In By them.
Modern devices, Of course. have
brought about this stat, Of affairs, but
the most persistent assurance cannot
convince tho timid Of this fact Seldom
indeed will tho veteran tolcgraphcr lit
his hand from tho key upon which hc ii
spelling QUE the mystic signs Of the
More alphabet upon tho approach OF
progress OF the heaviest storms, while
the young aspirant for tolC graphite fame
will dt through u storm with beating
heart rather than show tho white feather
TO his companions by dcscrting his post
It frequently occurs that the dcusS
humidity prevailing just previous Ia
storm. coupled with n heavy downfall
Of rain. Will cutico the strongest cleo
trlcal currents from the wires. and Tot
the time being "klls" their usefulness
II Is during one Of these storms that ihc
electric waves arc felt. coming and
going. aud what danger thurc Is . then
most imminent. 1t was during one Of
thcso lulls IN business, mp In the big
operating room Of tho Western Union
telegraph Office recently, that several OK
per, tclrgraphcrs gathered around one
Of the quad" table. and began cxchnng.
Ing experiences with thundorbolts. iiro'
balls aud other electric phcnOmosa toe
numerous 20 mention,
ono Of the humorous stories told had
forits central iiguroa telcgrapher named
Bogarlus. "Bosy." as no Is called fof
short, is known In tho telegraph profcs'
sion from Boston TO San Francisco and
from Now Orleans 20 Toronto, Canada
Ilc possessed u rowing disposition md y
mind that WAS blank rs 10 the value OF
money. Although "Bogy" at ono time
was ono Of the finest operators In the
business, these defects kept him alway,
on the tramp. aud from attaining any
position Of trust or prominence. Poor
"B0gy" "a now IN n Chicago hospital
rounding mp career that should have
been u bright one.
Tho following occurred IN tho days
when "Bogy" was In his prime. He
had recently boen "Rrod" from the New
York Offices, aud for bread aud butter
had drifted out toa railroad centcring In
pittsburg TO get new start. lie was
always careful Of his personal appear
anco. but, while ho could shave himself
the emitting Of his own hair was an i'm
possibility. Pittsburg. some thirty milc'
from the little station no was at, was
the nearest place wherein he could have
tho tonsotial fcnt performed. Ills hail
grew, the weather became hot and h,
frctted aud fumod. Tho comments Of
tho railroad mon didn't add to his com
fort.
Late one afternoon after q very ho
day thunderstorm Of remarkable In
/ tenity came up and the lightning playc,
hide and seek among the relays, sound
ors aud switchboard In "Bogy's" littl
10 by 10 Office. Every minute tho storii
increased In intensity and tho electrical
display was grandly sublime. As III
cracks OF the bolts ON tho switchOoar
became moro frequent and tho tlnshc
more luminous "Bogy." not n bit fright
oncd, concluded TO put tho cut out plu
In the switchboard and thereby save III
instruments from burning up in case N
lightning became too strong,
On the instant he applied the plug
bolt OF lightning struck q telegraph POI
about fifty feet from tho office and u
surplus electricity came IN tho switcl
board over tho wire and "Bogy's" hea
WAS wrapped in flame. Tho shock tire
him ON tho floor and for n momci
stunned him. Shaking himself togeth,
he congratulated himself upon his luct
escape. There was peculiar odor
, the room that "llogy" could not clear
/, account far, but concluded It came FRO
tho burned silk and WAX that made I
the covering for the office wires.
He had just succeeded In putting Il
1 Office TO rights and had returned TO
. after making temporary connecti'
: where the bolt had struck, when u ira
: drew up for orders.
"Je-e.rusalem!" shouted the conduct
/. as he caught sight OF "Bogy." when
:, your halrF
! "Bogy," In alright, clappod his han
TO his head and with u startled ciacul
ton rushed for the little mirror hangi
in q rear corner OF tho Office, One
was enough. "Bogy" hadn't rs mu
hair as one-month-old baby, n
/. strange 10 relate tho electric flame b
. not faxed his scalp ia the slightest. I
= knockdown blow old Jupiter had giy
? him had driven the thought Of his IN
y for the moment out Of his mind, and q
I'll the conductors surprised cry h
reached him he thought his hair 81
d needed cutting. Washington Star
III =-=---====-
D A Great Dunuor