The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-06-06

known to produce secret burning IN
the heart of masses of timber. In
1894, the Dictator, sixty-four guns,
was struck at Martinique. Two days
later smoke was seen issuing from her
| fgurehead, which, when cut down,
was found to contain nest of fire.
The freaks of lightning are extraor-
dinary. At Wooster, o., in June,
1892, a two-story bay window was cut
from the main structure OF house as
if by knife. In the same month, at
Norwich, Conn, a bolt went into the
ground and jerked out Of the earth
100 feet of iron water pipe. In Octo-
ber, le43, three illen were struck at
the bottom of. the mine shaft $50 feet
below the surface. 1t was supposed
that the lightning must have passed
down in the shaft by chain. There
are many cases on record where people
killed by lightning under trees have
been marked in one part of the body
or ano ther with the image of tree
or of leaf. This has been consider
cred very mysterious; but it is proba-
Bile that such phenomena arc largely
attributable to Imagination. Marks
made by lightning are apt to be fork
ed and branched in such fashion as to
suggest likenesses of the sort to excl
ted minds.
There have been instances where
lightning has entered a powder maya
zine and dispersed the gunpowder
without setting fire to it. This is
more easily understood when it is
learned that there is difficulty in set
ting fire to gunpowder by sending
charge from a Leyden jar through it.
The powder is simply scattered with
| out being ignited. If anything inter
feres with the free passage of the
electricity, however, the powder will
explode. There have been several
frightful disasters caused by lightning
striking powder magazines. At mid
night, August 10, 1887, magazine at
Joudpore, in the Bombay presidency,
was blown up in this way, killing l 900
residents. At Luxembourg, June 26,
1907, magazine containing twelve
tons of powder was struck, running a
large part Of the town. But the
worst accident of this kind happened
at Brescia, August IS, 1869, when
/ 2O7 900 pounds of powder belonging to
| the republic of Venice were ex-
ploded by lightning, destroying a
sixth part Of the city and 5000 human
beings.
There are some parts Of the world
where at certain seasons thunder and
lightning are practically incessant, the
sky being lighted continuously by
vivid flashes, while the ears are deaf
ened by the roar OF celestial artillery
without pause. One of these locali-
ties is the east coast of San Domingo,
region Stunned. on this account by
men and beasts at the rainy time Of
the year. There is little place in
the republic Of New Granada where
nobody will live on account of the
frequency Of the lightning strokes.
Thunder, by the way, is caused by the
electric fluid rending the air, which
has not time to get out of the
way. The rolling Of thunder is
due to echoes thrown back from the
clouds.
Practically, all of the 200 deaths
caused by lightning in the United
States annually occur in the five
months from April to September the
highest rate being in June and July.
Such strokes are very apt to produce
a condition of suspended animation.
Accordingly, the weather bureau re-
commends that everything possible
shall be done to stimulate respiration
and circulation to person who has
been struck, even though there are no
apparent signs of life. Cattle and
sheep suffer from this cause much Of
tener than human beings sometimes
an entire flock of sheep are wiped out
literally in fash. In nine years,
ending in 1892, 2,235 barns, 1O2
churches and 664 dwellings were
struck in this country. During the
same period there were about 1900
fires from lightning, with property
| loss Of about SD, 100000. Risk from
lightning in rural districts is five
times greater than in cities. Oak trees
are struck ffty-four times as often
as beeches, though nobody knows why.
Though physicians say that electric
ity is form Of motion, the fluid is
mystery yet. It's presence every
where helps to make it interesting.
Children shuttle over the carpet with
| their feet and thus generate enough
electricity to light the gas with a
spark from the finger. Anybody can
do that, though the carpet must be
wool and very dry, as we'll as the floor
beneath. Tesla, the famous expert,
made light burn in his hand from
electricity passing through his body.
When powerful electrical machine
is being worked in room, projecting
i sharp points about the furniture or
fixtures are apt to be seen in the dark
tipped with light. This is an artif-
cial production of the so-called st.
Elmo fire, which sometimes appears
on the masts of vessels at sea, excit-
ing the superstitions Of the sailors.
On rare occasions church steeples are
illuminated in the same strange fash.
ion. During thunderstorms peoples
heads have exhibited the phenomenon,
each hair being terminated by a minute
luminous tuft.
Electricity has not always been
found safe plaything. The kite ex-
pertinent of Franklin was repeated in
France in June, 1853, by NJ. Romas, a
provincial Judge of scientific tastes:
He made kite eight feet high and
three feet wide, the string being wrap
ped with copper wire. At the begin
ming of thunder storm he raised it to
about five hundred and fifty feet. In.
stead of sparks he obtained flashes OF
fire foot long, and three inches wide
accompanied by loud noises like the
cracking of whips. This performance
was initiated in August Of the same
year by Professor Richmann, of st.
Petersburg, the apparatus being set
up in his dwelling. In the midst OF
the entertainment a large globe OF
bluish-white fire appeared, with re-
port like gun. The experimenter