Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-07-10
REaKs OF LIGHTNING.
.,orce of Nature Not Yet Un-
 derstood by Science.
...on as m Explosive Receiving Att sssnn from the Weather Bureau of s3e-some Extraordinary Franks
 Played by ThunderbOIts.

I
 " Played by ThunderbOIts.
 vsterious and little understood
 s1actrieity even now that it is so IA s@lr utilized for mechanical pur~ V @ that it's vagaries in nature ex-
 +be utmost interest. The ques-
 racently discussed by Italian sci- ~ fists, as to whether bird can be
 nck by lightning, seems to be an
 srea in the affirmative by the de-
 s,as;on of a whole flock of wild
 sse ss on April 30 last. Twenty-two of
 s,a m flying north over Casnovia, ~ sb were slain by bolt from the
 Such an extraordinary event
 %sld have been regarded as an
 ,inous portend century or two ago.
 = action of lightning as an explo- 5, = is a subject that has elieited c ee,al attention from the weather
 ,rsau of late. Up to date no theory
 s been found to account for it satis-
 ctorily. On April 30, 1894, brick
 mse nit Keoluk, la. was struck and
 lmpletely wrecked as if bombshell C ,a done the work. One day earlier q
 ,aobouse near Kiowa, Kan, the prop
 tuof D. R. Straeter, was completely ,inea by a bolt, the roof, doors and
 4ndows looking as if they had been "a full of holes. At Barberton, O., F June IS, 1893, the dwelling of Will
 am Martin was literally torn to frag-
 sents by q similar agency.
 lnasmuch as two hundred people are
 lied every year by lightning in the
 nited States special protection for the erson is surely called for. One in-
 enious scientist mentioned by the Philadelphia Times has devised an um- rella with small copper chains att aebed to the end of the ribs. These re long enough to reach the ground. Thunderstorm coming up, they are oosened and permitted to dangle, ghfIe the owner of the eontrivance walks along in perfect security. Under mch Circumstances metal about ones 5ody is dangerous-for example, the wires in lady's bonnet. But this peril nav be overcome by fastening similar shains or copper threads to the frame work of the headgear. Though bolt shou1d destroy the bonnet, the elec- Erieity would spare the Uearer and pass 3ff into the ground. An instance on record is that of lady who raised her arm to shut a window as rain began to fall on summers day. There was a suddeu blaze of light aud, though she vas unharmed, her gold bracelet dis appeared So that no vestige of it could Do found. 4 sulphurous smell was ob- served 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 at- aosphere ill it's usual condition con lains one ten-thousandth part of ozone. When this proportion is increased in- is felt by fnen and ani- nals It has been suggested that some .ines persons found dead after stroke 1f lightning, though showingno marks of Injury, may have been su1focated by zone
 Lightning does occasionally strike lwice in the same place. 4 few years lgo St. Aloysius' church in Washington uifered, A flash ran down the light ling rod to within twenty feet of the round. Then it left the rod, passed hrongh twenty feet of air space to water pipe and broke a washstand slx years later the same thing was re- 'eated in every detail the electricity eaying the rod at the same point, nmping to the water pipe and smash ng to pieces the Washstand, which had lot been mended. The Church of the ncnrnation, in Washington, was also 'adly hit. To prevent a repetition of he accident the edifce was protected v very elaborate and costly system f rods The most important rod, of purse, protects the steeple. It ought Q Terminate in a sharp point, but the hureh authorities thought it more ap- 'ropriate that it should be surmounted 'Ea cross, on top of which was placed rooster. Thus the usefulness of the efensive contrivanee has been almost yholly destroyed, for so it stands at resent.
 dhe introduction of lightning rods in toman Catholic countries was strongly pposed on religious grounds. Pious ersons declared that the devices were i the devil, and called them sheretic ods. It was d long time before the hnrches would adopt them. though 'ulldings Of that description have al- gays been the greatest sufferers from elestlal fire, on account of their tall teeples. During the last century ertain church in Carinthia was struck often that services were discontinued hrlng the summer months. It was hit our or five times year Cn an average. T ITS a rod was put OH, and there was Io further trouble. At Stratsund. in 'omerania, a church was the scene of very appalling occurrence. On Sun- ay' the building being full of people, ball of fire entered and fell upon the ltar, thereupon exploding and doing reat damage.
 AS to the nature of phenomena of ms sort science knows almost nothing. 'uch globular lightning is seen quite 'tten, but nobody can guess how it is ormed, All that can be said is that it s electricity very highly concentrated. sails of lightning are sometimes seen elIlng along the surface of the sea. 'eeaslonally they strike vessels. As u!e they burst violently with loud loise and disastrous effects.
 A Nice Young King.
 The young king of Spain, Alfonso Nil. who recently entered upon his anth year, according to all who have