The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-23

The fear of lightning seems to be &
thoroughly ingrained human instinct
like the hatred of reptiles. The gather
ing of the spring thunder clouds which
put in their appearance about this
time Of the year, always sends lot OF
timid persons scurrying to the shelter
of the nearest feather-bed. The
feather-bed theory of protection from
lightning has the advantage of long
tradition to recommend it, and is not
likely to be unthroned by single ar
ticle. Still. there are always some
readers amenable to reason, and for the
benefit of those few this story is
printed, to correct the widespread mis-
information on the subject of the eti-
Quette observed by lightning in its ir-
regular visits TO the earth.
Every year for some seasons past,
the United States government has is
sued a little pamphlet, complied by Mr..
McAdie of the United States geodetic
survey, giving statistical information
On the subject of lightning. This PAM
phlet shows that while the number of
deaths from lightning has increased
each year for some time past, the in
crease has not been more rapid than
the growth of population. Last year
II was about 500 for the whole country,
and 1t may console the timid person to
reflect that his or her chance of injury
from this cause is something like one
IN 40, 600, which, as a philosopher has
remarked in another connection, is very
consoling il you can be certain that you
ale not the one.
The true philosophy on this subject
seems TO be a cheerful fatalism. You
can't dodge a lightning stroke, says
Mr.. Meade, and you can't turn it aside
except by very elaborate means. While
1t would undoubtedly be foolhardy to
climb to the top of a lofty tree during
q thunderstorm, or to sit with your
back against lightning rod, you might
be more safe there than hidden away
inside a feather bed.
The greatest scientific authority on
the subject of lightning is DR.. Oliver ].
Lodge of University college, Liverpool.
In this country it is probable that
there is no man who has a greater
fund Of practical information as to the
nature and characteristics of lightning
that Mr.. William A. Eddy of Bayonne,
n. j., who is follower and close stu
dent Of DR.. Lodge. Mr.. Eddy has made
an extended study of the subject of
atmospheric electricity, and he has
learned a number of interesting things
about the particular form of this cleo
trical force which manifests itself in
the lightning flash.
THE general fear of lightning is not
entirely without reason" said Mr. Ed
dy, in discussing the subject, for it is
capable of great devastation. Ex-
detrimental scientists have been very
chary of tackling this subject, and this
is probably the reason why the scien-
tific knowledge of lightning has not
kept pace with progress in other lines
of investigation. The study of light
ming has been greatly retarded by
terrible accident which happened more
than 100 years ago.
A SCIENTIFIC TRAGEDY.
Franklin may justly be given the
honor of being the pioneer in the prac
teal study of lightning. After his re-
markabl feat a. score of investigators
in different parts Of the world began to
make a study of lightning. Most Of
these experiments were brought to a
sudden termination by an incident suf-
ficiently tragic TO shake the nerves of
even a coOI-blooded man of science. An
experimental named Richmond, in St.
Petersburg, had built a laboratory
the lower end of a lightning rod 100
feet high, which he had erected, and
from which ne had succeeded in draw |
ing off electrical charges Of consider |
able force. One day, While Richmond /
was working in his laboratory, a I
thunderstorm came up. Lightning (
struck the lofty rod flashed down it and /
killed the scholar at his work, badly /
burning and mangling his body. That /
put an end to experiments with light |
ming for the time being. Toward the end