The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-28
CONDENSED LIGHTNING.
something that is Puzzling Weather Bureau
Experts.
Nei0s and Courier.

scientlsts confess themselves wholly
in the dark.
1t has often been supposed that the
Jack-o' lantern was an electrical phe-
nomenon more or less similar to the
lightning ball. This is not true at all.
Inc hickering flames and dancing balls
or hre seen on occasions in marshy
places, and often attributed to super
natural causes, are probably due to
the slow oxidation of gases containing
some combination of phosphorus.
such gases are generated by the de-
composition Of organic matter. The
Jack-o' lantern is very rarely seen in
the United States, by the way, owing
apparently to the fact that the nature
OF the soil is not SO favorable to the
production of the phenomenon. This
is matter which has relation to geol-
ogy, but there is good deal of doubt
on the subject even yet.
To measure the diameter of light
ming fash would seem to be out of the
] question, and yet it is often done.
Now and then lightning strikes bed
OF sand, and instantly transforms the
silica of the sand into glass, thus
making tnbe Of exactly It's own size.
Tubes Of sglass thus formed are fre-
quently dug up, and they have been
followed down into the sand as far as
thirty feet. 1t is not to be supposed
that all lightning flashes have the
same diameter, and this is proved by
the fact that the glass tubes made by
them under conditions such as those
described vary in diameter from the
thickness of quill to three inches or
more. Thus the "bore" of the fash
varies through wide range.
When the famous scientist, Won
Humboldt, first looked upon the peaks
of the Navada de Toluca, in Mexico,
he wondered to what cause might be
referred the strange glitter of the
highest rocky pinnacles in the sun
light. Determined to investigate the
matter, he climbed the mountain, at
great risk Of his life, and found that
the rocks on the top were covered
with thin layer Of green glass. They
had been struck ever 80 many times
by lightning, which had vitrefed the
silica of the rocks. Sometimes light
ming tubes such as those already de-
scribed are made in solid rock, though
of slight depth. On the summit Of
Little Ararat, in Armenia, tubes of
the kind a.e surprisingly abundant.
The material Of the rocks there is so
soft and porous that blocks Of stone
can be dug out, which are perforated
in all directions by little pipes lined
with bottle green-glass.
It may seem strange that one local
ity should be struck by lightning so
frequently, but mountain tops are
naturally exposed to such assaults of
nature. Furthermore, certain parts
of the world seem to be particularly
liable to lightning stroke, though no
body knows why it should be 80. For
example, people cannot be induced to
live in the neighborhood of vega de
Supia, in New Grenada, because of
fear Of lightning, which constantly
assails that district. The place seems
to be chosen target for the celestial
artillery. Prof. Pockels, of Dresden,
has published the opinion recently
that the magnetism observed in the
strata of rocks, and most Of ali in
what is caiied magnetic iron ore,"
has been produced therein locally by
lightning. This theory seems to be
confirmed by the fact that no magnetic
ore is found in deep iron mines.
Practically all Of the deaths from
lightning occur between April and
September, inclusive, the highest rate
being in June and July. In any ten
years in this country lightning makes
| record Of about 700 dwellings, $500
barns and ITO churches, with o total
Of $500 fires, causing loss of s16,-
100000. Thus it will be seen that
the sky-born fluid is not quantity to
be neglected in modern civilization.
The weather bureau would be glad to
advise people that it is wise, when a
person is struck by lightning, to use
every effort for an hour or two after
the occurrence to stimulate breathing
and the circulation Of the blood. It
happens very often that thunder
bolt renders q person unconscious and
apparently dead, but resuscitation
may be accomplished.
| In recent years there has arisen a
serious doubt as to the value Of light
ming rods, and many people nowadays
= n a u