Arizona republican., 1899-06-24
FACTS ABOUT LIGHTING
Some Strange Ideas and Traditions
 About inc Fiery Fluid.

It is generally acknowledged, and
 not without reason, that death by
 lightning is absolutely painless. It
 must be instantaneous, for scientists tell us that a flash occupies a less DOT
 tion of time than the thousandth part
 of a second, and that the victim of the lightning stroke never sees the flash
 accompanying the electric discharge
 which causes his death.
 And yet it is an undoubted fact that
 a moderate stroke has even proved the
 remedy of maladies and caused the
 growth Of trees, The people of olden times considered that lightning pro-
 vi5i3d a cure for the palsy, and round
 the subject an interesting folklore has
 grown in the course of ages. For in stance, if you chew the splinters of house struck by lightning you have remedy for the toothache. A house ! leek will protect your house. and in
 many places they used to ring the
 church bells on the approach of a storm; but this las often proved to be only inviting danger to the ringers. One curious fact the writer can vouch fer In tropical waters a curious fish | collects in shoals about the mouth of
 rivers or shallow waters after a storm, and they are extremely palatable on their first appearance. but fall off in flavor at cnce. and the second day. even when freshly caught, they are not fit to eat
 Lightning plays some curious pranks. Some time atou the close of the sixteenth century, tradition says, q storm broke over Wells cathedral while service was going on. The thunder
 was so terrible that the congregation
 fell Prostrate, and on rising each one was marked with cross. Frequently we hear of the representation of Q neighboring object being imprinted on the body of a victim; hut. most pc culiar, the shoes of the persons struck have often been tern from their feet and hurled to some distance.
 With such a danger liable to come upon us at certain periods. it. is no wonder that from time immemorial means of preventing CT minimizing the danger have been sought by phil osophers and scientific men. P.iny, in the belief that lightning never pene- trated mere than six feet beneath the surface. advocated the retiring to deep caves during a storm. Sealskins were also adopted by the Romans to avert danger.
 Most theories about electricity are unsatisfactory. and, although man can. to a great extent, control the subtle fluid, or whatever 1t may be, he is as yet practically unacquainted with its real nature. Does lightning ascend or descend? It seems to come from the clouds. yet there are so very many cases which tend to prove that the eX- plOsion took place upward that we are led to discredit the evidence of sight.
 The question arises, is it safer. dur ing a storm, in the country CT in the cities? Francois Erago. in t'Meteoro- logical Essays" expresses the opinion tkat in the great towns of Europe men appear to be very little exposed to danger from lightning, and he says that, according to an opinion widely prevailing persons are much more exposed in villages and in the open country Many cases are on record of men being struck on open plains, and, of course, the danger is greater when sheltering under a tree, but this is a danger common to town and country.
 A Major Parnell gives certain rules which may be followed by the nervous, if they choose to put themselves to in convenience. If you are indoors, va cate the kitchen and all rooms on the lowest floor, and everywhere where there are open fireplaces. Keep away from al metals and see that all win dCws. doors and other openings are closed. And don't forget to keep the flues, especially the kitchen fue, free from soot
 But if you have to go outside in threatening weather. take a silk um- brella, not walking cane, with as lit tlc metal about it as possible. If caught in the storm get to shelter in a masonry house, not in a wooden shed or outbuilding If there is no shelter, sit down on the least exposed and driest spot, not near water, and put up your umbrella Avoid trees, hedges, 1 fences. walls and sharp faces of rocks. If riding dismOunt and sit down IS above. If driving. stop and get the carriage in as dry a place as possible. Agricultural labOrers are most fre- quently struck by lightning because they run to trees and wooden sheds. Major Parnen would remedy this by building all field sheds of masonry.
 One in 1,000,0 ,000 per annum is said to be the proportion of people killed by Coming to face absolute facts. the risk is infinitesiGal. It seems | almost too much trouble to resort to Major Parnell's elaborate precautions. i Detroit Tribune