The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-06-13
Victims of Lightning.

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 be collected. Five hundred
and sixty-two persons we're killed in
stantly or suffered injuries from which
death soon resulted, and $40 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 resulting
from lightning seems to be the paraly
sis of the arms or legs.
In Professor Henry's report on the
casualties of the year, he says there
were some remai kable eecapes from
death. In some cases the clothing of
the person struck was set on fire and
the body was SCARED or burned; how
ever, complete recovery followed. 1t
is not easy to explain how these per-
sous escaped death, and there is still
much uncertainty as to the maximum
voltage that can be applied to the hu-
man body without fatal results.
In some cases Of death the body of
the person struck showed no external
marks of the discharge, and death
seems to have resulted from complete
collapse of the cellular tissues. In
many cases, however, the cause Of
death was made apparent by the dis
colorati0n and burning of various par Is
of the body. One singular case was
that of two brothers who were killed
while driving together in dog-cart.
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 had no external sign of injury.
The skin of the younger brother was
burned in q 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 it was
deeply burned. The waistcoat and
shirt were charred, but the coat was
uniniured. No sign of disturbance of
the ground could be seen.
1t is usually supposed that the dam
age is done by a single bolt, but it is
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 were killed, while the driver,
who was sitting between the horses and
the man, was not seriously hurt. This
case, and others Of similar nature,
seem to confirm the belief that not one
but a number of discharges may reach
the earth within comparatively small
radius, inside which there may be
small areas of safety. Photographs CT
the so-called ribbon flashes show that
at times the discharge is from thirty to
forty feet wide the surface of the
earth. There sopear to be narrow
lanes within thess broad paths that are
free from violent disturbance. A per-
son standing in one of these lanes
might escape serious injury, while 9TH
ers near by might be killed.
The greatest number of fatalities-45
per cent.-occurred in the open; the
next greatest number--S4 per cent
occurred in houses; IL per cent. occur
red under trees, and the least Of all-9
per cent.-in barns.
A dozen persons, mostly women,
were killed either while taking clothes
from wire lines or while near the lines
during a thunderstorm. 1t is well
known that in the cities many wire
clothes lines are extended between the
dwellings and trees or the back fence.
Professor Henry says this is a source
OF danger and that wires should never
connect a house with a neighboring
tree. If wire is used at all, it should
not be stretched within fifty feet of
dwelling house. Here are some pre-
cautions that are recommended during
thunderstorms. Persons in a house
should avoid chimneys and open win
dows. The safest place is probably the
middle of the room. In the open, per-
sons should never seek the shelter Of
trees. Wire fences and livestock
should be avoided. If on horseback,
it is wise to dismount and wait until
the storm passes away.
In one case last year five persons
were killed by a single stroke of light
ming. There was also one case of four
deaths from a single stroke, two cases
of three deaths and several cases Of two
deaths.
The greatest number of fatalities oc-
Cured in Pennsylvania, where there
were fifty-six deaths; and there were
forty-one in Illinois.
In both those States there was an
exceptionally large number of fatali-
ties in the month of May. In the
whole country, however, the largest
number of casualties occurred in June,
July and August. December was the
only month without a casualty, though
only two persons were killed in Octo-
ber, four in November, three in Janu-
airy and one in February. The statis-
tics of 1898 and 1899 show that the
number of fatalities by lightning in
any region is by no means IN propor-
ton to the number of thunderstorm
days. In Pennsylvania, for example,
where the increase in deaths in 1899
over 1898 was about 40 per cent, there
were fewer thunderstorm days in 1899
than in lS9S.-New York Sun.