The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-04

He Tells of an Ingenious German's Great
Invention.
(San Francisco Cal.)

oooi ooio huJoT DluZeli, dS uo
took cigar out of my vest pocket
and proceeded to light it, "that the
statistics show that deaths from
lightning are becoming moro fire.
quent every year."
We were sitting in tho lobby of
the Occidental hotel, and the ma or
had q red -colored volume on his knee,
which he had boon reading prior to
my intrusion.
l merely nodded. knowing that my
silence was more likely to draw him
into conversation than my words.
He puffed vigorously at my cigar
for few minutes and then began:
"Yes, sir: the deaths are becoming
more frequent every year, and I
wonder that no one in this country
has evor invented patent lightning
conductor that could be carried
about the person by people living in
the districts where electrical storms
arc 80 frequent"
Again he puffed at his cigar, stop
ping only to expectorate thoug ghtful-
ly at cuspidor removed somo two
yards from his feet. He did not hit
it, but the matter did not Soon to
worry him lnuch.
"Talk about Yankee ingenuity"
he said presently, "why I know
German who beat us all hollow. He
was scientist Of the first water and
had trunk full of diplomas and all
that sort Of thing. I met him out
in Buenos Ayrc some years ago,
whore, as you know, electrical storms
are very frequent and of great force"
l was not aware of any such thing,
but nodded again.
The major chewed n piece off his
cigar and pasted it on tho white pil,
lar near his seat.
eyes, sir: storms are vely frequent
out there, and one year L remember
That deaths from lighting averaged
ten n day"
L coughed, but the majors eyes
were fixed on tho ceiling and he did
not hear me-
"One morning the German scion
tist came up to my apartments and
said that he had just completed
portable lightning conductor which
would make his fortune, and which
would soon be owned by every resi-
dent of Buenos Ayres. Flo showed
me three small rods, fitted into one
another, the whole being about twelve
feet long. The middle one Of these
was to be attached by strap to the
wearer's back; the lower would then
reach the ground, the top one would
project some feet into the air, and
the electrical current would be car
ried directly into tho earth. | may
add that a small wheel was attached
to the bottom rod, enabling it to
glide over the ground easily and not
retard the wearer's movements. His
object in coming to mo was to
request mo to make trial with
his patent before he finally put it
on the market"
The majors cigar had gone out,
and he proceeded to light it.
"What was to do" he asked mo
after he had satisfied himself with q
few puffs. | merely waved my
hand.
"The afternoon promised to be n
stormy one," he continued. "and 80
agreed to be on hand and risk my
life for his special benefit. At 3
o'clock | repaired to tho place Of
meeting, lonely plaza on the out
skirts OF the city, and just rs the
storm began to break I took thethreo
rods from him and began to adjust
them. Peals upon peals of thunder
broke over the city, and tho lightning
flashed every few seconds. 1t was
forked lightning, too, sir, and I as .
sure you it kept mo jumping from
side TO side to avoid boing struck.
Fortunately" continued the major,
looking at his shapely limbs, 81 am
well built and exceedingly agile. A
less agile person would have boon
struck repeatedly, but I come of fine
old stock, SIR"
He eyed mo fiercely, and l bowed.
"Finally 1 succeeded in adjusting
the three rods, attached them to my
middle, and, upon my honor, sir,