The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-24
FOOLISH FEAR OF LIGHTNING.
Fewer Fatalities From 1t Than From
Other Causes of Accidental Deaths.

other Causes OF Accidental Deaths'
From the New York Times.
A current news item gives the results
of an investigation carried out by DR.. G.
Stanley Hall, president of Clark Univer-
sity. on the things that most excite fear
in people. OF the 298 classes Of objects of
fear to which 1,7O7 persons confessed,
thunder and lightning lead all the rest, al
though in certain localities, as, for in
stance those subject to cyclones, etc, the
fear of the latter predominates. II may
be accepted as probably true that thunder
storms constitute the most pronounced
source of fear with the majority Of peo-
pie. due, no doubt to the always impress
sive and not infrequently overpowering ma
ture of the phenomenon. But is there any
justification in fact for this fear. so far
as fatal results are concerned? We be-
lieve there Is not but, on the contrary.
that many other causes which barely have
a place in DR.. Halls list are Infinitely
more entitled to the distinction as fear
producers than is lightning. AS proof Of
this we may cite statistics of the United
States weather bureau. These show that
for the four years 1890-4 the deaths from
lightning numbered 7s4, or an average of
1856 a year. Again, Mr.. IL f. Kretzer Of
st. Louis found from the record Of nearly
200 newspapers that for the five years 1888
ming, or an average of 205 a year. We
doubt whether, of the number of deaths
classed as accidental in the whole Unit
ed States, any one 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 TO 800 persons meet their
end by falls OF one kind or another. Com
pairing the record of 200 lightning fatali-
ties for the whole country with the above
records for New York city. with It's total
Of nearly 800 accidental deaths every
year, Il will be seen how groundless Is the
popular fear OF lightning. IL is a survival
an inherited superstition.
But there is another point In connection
with this matter which ought to be par
ticularly comforting TO city dwellers al
belt country jewellers may not be affected
In a like manner, aud that Is that stalls
ties show that the risk OF lightning Is
five times greater In the country than In
the city. The cause Of this immunity for
city dwellers Is not far TO seek. II IS
doubtless due 10 the predominance OF met
al roofs, the well-grounded water pipes
IN houses. and probably as much as any
thing TO the protective network OF over
head electric wires OF oil kinds.
The popular belief that a stroke Of light
ming Is Invariably fatal IL also not borne
out by facts. Indeed, one record specially
devoted to this feature shows that OF 2i2
persons struck only seventy-four were
killed. Taking Il all In all. there seems 70
be no more groundleas popular fear than
that OF lightning. lndeed. n one can 20
by statistics. the risk Of meeting death by
a horse kick in New York is over 90 per
cent. greater than that OF death By light
ming Yet with al the weight Of stalls
tics against its deadliness, lightning will
probably continue 10 scare people as here
tofore. Perhaps. after all. there may be
a more direct cause than the mere ply
Geological one usually ascribed 10 A. ana
that IN the fact that many people Of ner-
vous temperament are affected hours be-
fore the approach Of q thunderstorm ana
thus rendered particularly pOwerless 10
stand the srrain which more or less ar
fects even the most phlegmatlc natures
during a disturbance Ia the heavens.