The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-03-26

q Washington, Maroh l5 The wealth
q er Bureau has just brought to cor
4 clusion an investigation of the utmost
q interest, relating to destruction of life
4 by lightning, which has been in pro-
q gress for the last eleven years. AS q
j result, it finds that from 700 to 800
4 lives are lost in this country each year
q by thundcrbolts, and that the NOR
4 tally from this cause is sufficiently
s. greater in some regions than in others
8 to make it worth while for residents
d of electrically threatened districts to
g take special precautions. ,Tabulation
q of deaths is not yet completed for the
last year, but in 1900 no fewer than
H 713 persons in the United States were
s. killed or fatally injured by lightning.
4Of this number 291 were killed in the
y open, 158 in houses, 81 under trees,
a and Sc in barns. just how the re-
IA naming 151 died is not known. In
addition to the above 973 persons were
more or less injured in 1900-by light
i ming stroke-57 of them in barns and
a29 under trees.
1t is unfortunate that people are SO
Haddicted, when thunder storm comes
.aup, to seeking shelter in barns and
under trees, because, as is shown by
sthe above figures, death frequently
comes in this way. Men, like ami
samals, are killed by thunderbolts, not
single, but in bunches when they hud-
2Sdle together. A tree particularly is a
frst-rate thing to avoid when light
hing is abroad, and it is most injudi-
sscious for persons under such circum-
stances to crowd together under
& fhreshing machines, sheds, or in
grand stands at race tracks or
Bounty fairs, especially under or near
Ahe flagstaff.
ii In the United States thunder storms
Pre- frequent over all Of the territory
Aast of the Tooth meridian. West Of
hat meridian, except in the Rocky
Plountain region, the frequency steadi-
gH diminishes, until along the Pacific
BOAST such phenomenon is rarely OBJ
3erved. The three greatest thunder
torn yegions are in the neighborhood
f Florida, in the middle Mississippi
g alley, and in the middle Missouri
81 alley. Florida, which has the high
st average, shows record Of about
8orty-five such storms annually;., the
ther two regions 35 and 30 respec-
lively.
81 The greatest number CT fatal light
strokes occur in the Middle At
ahntic States, The Ohio Valley and
So ennessee come next, and the middle
Ind upper Mississippi Valley close
hird. During the FIVE years from
3896 to 1900 the greatest number OF
3eaths (186) occurred in Pennsylvania,
ollowed by Ohio with 135, and In
iana, Illinois and New York With 124
ach. The utmost fatality Of q single
roks occurred at, Chicago, where
s leven persons, huddled together 10 g
}nc-lined shanty under pier, met
pstant death BY single bolt.
81 The belief that the chance Of injury,
Ay lightning in cities is less than in:
s Ountry seems to be rather general,
ut the weather bureau experts say
q lat it has no hasisin fact. It;s true
a pat the modern oity building, with
metal covered roof and steel frame,
fairly good conductor Of cleo
icity, and on that account is in much.
ss danger OF receiving damaging
roke than an isolated dwelling in.
she open rural districts. Also, the
ultiplication Of telegraph, telephone
pd electric light wires in cities helps
carry off the surplus electricity
bring storm; but, should really
IS. eat storm cloud with tremendous
ore Of energy approach, all Of the
bsres in New York would not prevent
from discharging right and left.
1t has often been suggested that the
|overnment ought to make expert
ents on q large scale, with view to
blaming knowledge that would rem.
er life and property more secure dur.
g thunder storms. Unfortunately
Re phenomena Of lightning are mani
sted in such g gigantic way that
boratory study is Of little use. Il
@ true that small lightning flashes
In be produced in the laboratory,
fth the aid Of 3 mode. i alternating
achine and transformer, But d
ghtning flash of 8 mile or more in
ngth so vastly transcends the feeble
park induced by the electrician that