The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-03
LICHTNINC'S FREAKS.
Some Results Of the Weather Bureaus
Observations.
The Number Killed Every Year-It
Sometimes Strikes Twice in the
Same Place-Some Queer Notions.


From the Washington Star
The circular on Protection from Light
ming, " just issued by the weather bureau,
contains no mention of the freaks OF cleo
trical storms which that branch of the
government service has been recording
for some years past.
So mysterious and little understood is
the fluid electricity even now, that it is
sorwidely utilized for mechanical purposes,
that its vagaries in nature excite the Ut
most interest. The question recently dis
cussed by Italian scientists as to whether
bird could be struck by lightning seems
to be answered in the affirmative by the
destruction of a whole flock of wild geese
on April So last Twenty-Five of them,
flying north over Casnovia, Mich, were
slain by bolt from the sky. Such an ex-
traordipary event would have been re
garded as an ominous portent century
or twoago.
The action Of lightning as an explosive
Is a subject that has elected special at
tentIon from the weather bureau of late
. Up to date no theory has been found to
account for it satisfactorily. On April
30, 1898, a brick house at keokuk, Ia.
was OIL uCh. anu as completely wrecked
as II bombshell had done the work. One
day earlier a farm house near kiowa,
kan, the property of ID. r. Streeter,
was completely ruined by a bolt, the
roof, doors ana windows looking as if
they had been shot full of holes. At
Barherton. Ohio, on June IS, 1898, the
dwelling Of William Martin was literally
torn to fragments by a similar agency.
SPECIAL PROTECTION NEEDED.
lnasmuch as 200 people are killed every
year by lightning in the United States,
special protection for the person Is surely
called for One ingenious scientist has
devised an umbrella, with small copper
chains attached to the ends of the ribs.
These are long enough TO reach the
ground. a thunder storm coming up,
they are loosened and permitted TO
dangie, white the owner of the contri-
vance walks along IN perfect security.
Under such circumstances, metal about
ones body Is dangerous-for example. the
wires in lady's bonnet. But this peril
may be overcome by fastening similar
chains of copper threads to the frame
work of the headgear. Though a bolt
should destroy the bonnet, the electricity
would spare the wearer and pass off into
the ground.
An instance on record is that Of a lady
who raised her arm TO shut a window as
ram began 10 fall on a summers daV.
There was a sudden blaze OF light. and.
though she was unframed her gold brace
let disappeared so that no vestige of it
could be found. A sulphurous smell was
observed in the air THIS. scientific men
say, Is quite usual when lightning strikes,
being due TO an excess of ozone generated
by the electricity. The atmosphere in its
usual condition contains one ten-thou-
sahuth part OF ozone When this proper
uon Is increased inconvenience is felt by
men and animals. it has been suggested
mat sometimes persons found dead after
stroke of lightning though showing mo
marks OF injury, may have been sufo-
Gated by ozone.
Lightning does occasionally. strike
l"lce IN the same place. A few wears
a89 ~. Aloysius church, in Washington.
su5ered. fash ran down the lightning
tou W within twenty feet Of the ground.