Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-06-28
srRuoK M LIGHTNING.
Loss of Life Last Year Was Much Large
~! -. W. Than uaunl.

Loss of Life last Year Was Much Larger
stl Than Usual.
The facts collected by the Weather
Bureau show that the loss of life by
lightning in this country last year was
greater than In any year since statistics
began TO he collected. Five hundred
and sixty two persons were killed in
stantly or suffering injuries from which
death soon resulted, and $50 persons
were injured, many OF them suffering
from physical shock, others from pain
full burns and others from temporary
paralysis of some part OF the body.
The most common form of injury re-
sultipg from lightning seems to be the
paralysis of the arms or legs. In
Professor Henry's report on the casual
ties Of the year he say 8 there we're some
remarkable escapes from death. In
some cases the clothing OF the person
struck was set on fire and the body was
SCARED or burned; however, complete
recovery followed. 1t Is not easy to ex-
PLAIN, according to the Boston Tran.
script. how these persons escaped death,
and there is still much uncertainty rs to
the maximum voltage that can be mp.
Flied to the human body without fatal
result In some cases Of death the
body of the person struck showed no
external marks OF the discharge aud
death seems to have resulted from com.
plete collapse Of the cellular tissues.
In many cases, however. the cause Of
death was made apparent by the dis
| celebration and burning Of various parts
Of the body One singular case was
that OF two brothers who we're killed
while driving together in dogcart.
They were found lying side by side on
the road, Just as they had fallen out of
the back OF the vehicle. The elder
brother Ind no external sign OF injury.
The skin Of the younger brother was
burned in number Of small circular
holes over the chest and abdomen and
the back was burned from the neck to
the hips The metallic COLLAR stud,
was fused and the skin beneath 1t was
deeply burned. The waistooat and
shirt were obarred, but the coat was
uniniured. No signs OF disturbance OF
the ground could be seen.
IL il usually supposed that the dam
age is done BY single bolt, but it ia
often difficult to explain the casualties
on this theory. Thus, in one case last
year span OF horses attached TO a
wagon and man in the rear of the
wagon was killed, while the driver,
who was sitting between the horses md
the man, was not seriously hurt. This
case and others Of a similar nature
seem TO confirm the belief that not one
but number OF discharges may reach
the earth within comparatively smal
radius inside which there may be SINAI
areas of safety, Photographs Of the &C
callsd ribbon flashes show that at time'
the discharge il from 30 to 40 feet widt
at the surface of tho earth. There ap
pears to be narrow lanes within these
broad paths that are free from y,olen
disturbance. A person standing one o
these lanes might escape serious in
Jury while others nearby might b
killed. The greatest number of fatal
ties, or 40 per cent, occurred In tn
poem; the next greatest number, 81 PEI
cent, occurred in houses; IL por cen
occurred under trees, and the least o
all, nine per cent in barns.
A dozen persons, mostly women, wer
killed either while taking clothes from
wire lines or while near the lines dur
that In the cities many wire clothes
, ings and trees or the back fence. Prof
| q "
danger and that wires should neve
connect house with neighborinI
tree. If wire is used Mt all, ii shout,
, not be stretched within 80 feet Of
dwellinghouse. Here are some precau
. tions that ale recommended durin
, thunderstorms. Persons In a hous
/ should avoid chimney and open win
/ dows The safest pace is probabl
, the middle OF the room. In the open
, persons should never seek the shelte
OF trees. Wire fences and live stool
should be avoided. II on horseback,
is wise to dismount and wait until th
/ storm passes away. In one case las
. year five persons were killed by
single stroke of Lightning. There wa
also one case of four deaths from
q single stroke, two cases of three death
5 and several cases Of two deaths.
r The greatest number of fatalities OF
, Cured in Pennsylvania, where ther
t were SO deaths; and there were Al !
. Illinois. In both these States ther
. was an exceptionally large numbec {
Q fatalities in the month of May. In tn
q whole country, however, the larges
s number OF casualties occurred 10 JUNE
t July and August December was III
0 only month without casualty, thoue
. only two persons were killed In Octc
Der, four 10 November, three in JAM
airy, and one In February. The stati
tics Of 1898 and 1899 show that III
number Of fatalities by lightning in an
region is by no means IN proper ion I
Q the number of thunderstorm days ]
Z Pennsylvania, for example, where til
i increase OF deaths 1899 over 1888 WI
y about l40 per cent, there were feWe
9 thunderstorm days In 1899 than in 1880