The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-10-12
LIGHTNING.
Odd Behavior of Electric Dis
charges from Above.
Singular Effects on Animate
and lnanimate Objects.

conprohcnds that In which tho dis
charge nanifests Itself In n long,
luminous line bent into angles and
zigz'g-. This kind Is known ns
forkcJ lightning. The second differs
from the first IN tho range of surface
over which tho flash !, diiTuscd aud Is
called sheet lightning. aud the third
class has been made the subjcc, OF
wide discussion and contention. 1t
never assumes tho form of long lines
nor of sheets of flame. but appears ms
balls or humps Of fire. They are not
nomcninry appnritions, but last sevc-
rnl seconds and burst with II bright
flare and loud report, and OCCASION
ally discharge flashes of lightning. A
scloolmastor In Ohio whose school
was struck during recent storm dc-
clarcd TINT he saw ball of ilrc strike
aud roll down the flagstaff of the
scboolhousc, aud the ball caused II
panic among the scholars.
A singular story comes from Paris.
A tailor who lived on tho Ruc St
Jaques wns eating his dinner one day
during n thunder storm when he
heard loud clap and saw the chimney
boarl fall out and globo of fro rs
big rs n man had como quietly out and
moved about tho room few feet
above the floor. After moving slowly
about the bali went buck into the
chimney, and moment later there
was loud explosion which complete
ly shattered the chimney.
pgrcal many years ago the sou,I-
wc't tlnnac'o Of al Old church IL
Drcog, In Cornwall, was demolished
by n stroke of Lightning and one
stone, weighing three hundred
pounds, wns hurled upward and In a
southcrly direction n distance of one
hundred yards, aud sec md was sent
in n noriheIly direction 100 yards, aud
a third 100 yards to tho cast.
In 1875 the topinast of tho fishing
schooner William and Mary of Massa-
chusctts was hit by n flush and cut
into chips aud since that time three
consing schooncrs have had tho samo
experience. A British ship while
crossing tho North Pacific ocean from
China was struck by II ball of globu-
lar lightning, which left such II sui
phurous odor behind II that the crew
were obliged TO tako to tho rigging in
order to avoid suilocailon. This odor
afier an explosion occurred recently
In Cuba when n largo company Of
laborcrs on tobacco plantation were
obliged TO take to tho woods in order
TO avoid II.
Tho magnetic effects produced by
lightning are often very singular in
decd. A chest containing largo as
sortment of knives aud cutlery wa, re-
Gently struck in n carpon tors shop in
Chicago, md all tho articles were ut
once magnetlz,d. A shoemaker in
Swabia had his tool, treated In tho
same way, TO his great annoyance, as
he had to DO 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 Gcnocse ship was wrecked
near Algiers in consequence of tho
lightning having played prauks with
the compass, and the captain suppos-
Ing hc was sailing to the north instead
of 10 the south.
Another class of effects caused by
lightning are cures. Gouty mon have
been enahlcd to walk freely, epilcptic
persons have been healed and rheuma-
tism cured by n flash. On tho other
hand, the effects of magnetic lightning
are harmless. Three hundred per-
sons were once struck in Charleston
prison and completely robbed of their
muscular strength.
There is still another phenomena
produced by lightning and this is the
lightning 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 tho impression OH the
bodies Of men and animals. or these
eight arc of trees or parts of trees,
one of bird aud one Of COW, two
of horscshoes, one Of nail, ono of
metal comb, four of crosses. Crosses
In this connection aro very old, for It
n