Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-03
FEAR OF LIGHTNING.
Many Persons Are Frightened But Few Are
Killed.

A current news item gives the re-
suits of an investigation carried out
by DIR. Stanley Hall, president of Clark
University, on things that most excite
fear in people. says the Electrical En-
gineer. OF the 29s classes of objects of
fear to which 1907 persons confessed,
thunder and lightning led all the rest.
although in certain localities. for in
stance. those subject to cyclones, etc,
fear of the latter predomnates. 1t
may be accepted as probably true that
thunderstorm constitute the most pro-
nounced source of fear with the major
ity of people, due, no doubt. to the al
ways impressive and not infrequent
overpowering nature of the phenome-
non. But is there any justification in
fact for this fear so far as fatal re-
suits are concerned?
We believe there is not. but. on the
contrary, that many other causes
which barely have a place in DIR. Halls
list are infinitely more entitled to the
distinction as fear producers than
lightning. AS proof of this we may
cite statistics of the United States
weather bureau. These show that for
the four years, 1S90-93. the deaths from
lightning numbered 7S4, or an average
of 1876 a year. Again. H. F. Kretzer OF
st. Louis found from the record Of
nearly 200 newspapers that for the five
years 1SS3-SS, there were 1890 deaths
caused by lightning. or an average of
200 q year. We doubt whether, of the
number of deaths classed as "acciden-
tall in the whole United States. any
group can show so small number. In
New York city alone over 200 people
are drowned every year. while nearly
$50 are burned or scalded to death, and
close on to 500 persons meet their ends
by falls of one kind or another. Com
pairing the record of 20 lightning fatal
tiles for the whole country with the
above records for New York city, with
its total of nearly 1900 accidental
deaths every year. it will be seen how
groundless is the popular fear of light
ming. 1t is a survival an inherited su-
rerstition.
But here is another point in connec-
ton with this matter which ought to
be particularly comforting to the city
jewellers. albeit country dwellers may
rot be affected in like manner, and
that is. that statistics show that the
risk of lightning is five times greater in
he country than in the city. The
cause of this immunity for city dwell
lers is not far to seek. 1t is doubtless
due to the predominence of metal
roofs, the well-grounded water pipes in
houses. and probably as much as any
thing to the protective network CT
overhead electric wires of all kinds
The popular belief that stroke Of
lightning is invariably fatal is also not
borne out by facts. Indeed, on record
specially devoted to this feature shows
that of PIP persons struck, only y were
killed. Taking it all in all, there seems
to be no more groundless popular fear
than that of lightning. Indeed, if one
can go by statistics. the risk of meet
Ing death by horse kick in New York
is more than so per cent. greater than
that of death by lightning.
Yet with all the weight of statistics |
against its deadliness, lightning will
probably continue to scare people as
heretofore. Perhaps. after all, there
may be more direct cause than the |
mere psychological one usually ascrib- |
ed to it, and that is the fact that MANY |
people of nervous temperaments are
affected hours before the approach of a |
thunder storm and thus rendered par |
ticularly powerless to stand the strain |
which more or less affects the most |
phlegmatic natures during a disturb |
ance in the heavens.