Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-21

fainting. fright, looting house or destroy
ing building sometimes suffice to quiet it.
Its shape is not always spherical. though
generally so. Sometimes oval, sometimes
1t has flame like shell. or else is
quiet as a shooting star. 1t Is often like
an orange, and moves so slowly that one
can follow 1t for several minutes
Once at Marselles It entered a house
like a ball of fire the size of a plate. struck
the feet of a girl who was kneeling ter
rified; rebounded TO the ceiling, struck
her feet again, then the ceiling, and
bounded thus three or four times, with per-
feet regularity. and finally went out
through the keyhole. The girl only had the
feeling of a slight cramp in the legs, and
could not walk alone for two weeks
One day at Secondigny two boys, one
aged twelve and the other fifteen, were
playing in the street when they saw a
ball like an orange rolling toward them.
One touched It with his foot. 1t exploded.
killing him instantly. His comrade was
thrown down, but was not hurt.
This goes to prove that people should
not play with lightning. 1t does not like
to be interfered with. and the lessons which
1t reserves for the imprudent are cruel.
''Oue OF the StrangeSt fancieS of light
ming is for undressing its victims. Once
woman dressed as man was caught in
storm, her clothes and shoes were torn
off by lightning and thrown affair." so that
she had to wrap up in a sheet in order
to reach the nearest village. Shoes or
clothing may be destroyed or neatly I'M
1859 ~, Via ~ er1, ui,,iu,t I ~
,tt .teI., ,c5 vi nl,iei WY t I,t'9 =
80 49,, 60, - 80" " u -; ..i t Is,
jured August ., 1852 at the Prince Eu-
gene barracks, in Paris. lightning fell while
bnd y,ara iorl'ad te +be;r eoa+ u,biln thosa
ta,5in. 80 tbrou.n dor-n Nv Sori+;ar
de Claubry was one day struck without
having other injury than his beard destroy
~ ''' 49,, ~ nv y. e.,
it, l, $500 80 - W gu a
as - stoI.ad ,.i,b - 80, nborn ~ ra,'t
,iro hnd 80 ,ed Sa,; l'e 'ise ,,it
80 ,atI -; -. % - ~ sPit. tT, e
i,n',,,,,os = 80 ;,i. ", 49,. 80; -
nrr On 1SSs Ha oS c"t siraieht ''', ,,n
~, tbo 10 - Tho tn,, 81 ~ go I Ip
1sS" i;gbt,77 op VI ,l.o
80 - ; IN. sn -. VI itiiS
- ~ - 80 ~ r., ,io1.;I,.o ~ ~ a. a
bn, uacaS ~ ,ha 49, bna',tf,i DO
s;s1s 40 - - Wv
j.
we eau such Things freaks Out they
are rather apparent than real, for they
are determined by causes. So 1t Is with
tho nrat+iest von,p. without kpou-;no II
- - -, - 10 ~
ooe' 'iis me- i''i ~ Id, ,aues' nne 10
less capricious imam we peheVe- 1hese
curious facts show us again that our knowl-
its study is interesting in all its phases.
1t is certain that electricity has in nature
part more important than We generally
think, and that in human life it has an al
most perpetual part which Is nearly IN
know. Sensitive beings notice this at the
approach of storms. and feel the most ex-
traordinary relief when the storm has pass
ed We nave here a physical influence fol
lowed by moral influence. the two coming
very near together with the residents of
our planet"
And what, l asked. seem to be the
causes for the most frequent accidents?
Ii no general law can be deduced, are there
not at least evidences of the principal
causes of attraction?'
Hot summers particularly abound in
such accidents. Flammarion answered,
and more especially the months from May
to October, inclusive. 1t is furthermore
noticeable that more men are killed than
liie'1eu ,n century. For ',y'' men mere
has sometimes been at,rihnted 10 a,ffnr
erces of nature to organic electricity or to
clothes. 1t Is probably due to the simple
iact that there are less women than men
nrn cue e'u' anu 'iieS are consequently less
.tEyen 4, E,rarce sn,.u &c ,ho oo,,n+x,, T.
the distribution of accidents from Iightnine
is irregular. rare in some places and recur-
ring every year In others Mountainous
regions are the most exposed In Paris
there are few accidents because peonla are
comparatiyly little exposed and the LIGHT
ming strikes trees or buildings. The electric
charges empty into metal works such as
balconies lightning rods etc The EiffaI
tower is often struck. but Is not Unmarried
THE victims NAV he divided nv nrder of
frequency into five classes.
81 Under trees 2 In the omen conntrv
especially If they hold tools in thejr b.nd
or are leading an animal 2 Tn cbrrnbas
especially If holding a baIl rona and IN
variably those ringing a hell In &c.,
t. Track keepers' houses < In touns "
Great gatherings of animals sanar.,,,
are dangerous in fbundarstormS. ofta, 80
tire focks are destroved Tbn,,, natII,
run Together from fr;oht "a hni,'a any any
from rain orYer a larga s,,rfaoa ~. Ing We
tor. Steam also rises in a co,un,, fro,,
this living mass and onars nhn - on
the electric current ' " ei'iihei ioi
.rr,,o
Inc trees most frequently struck are
oaks, then poplars, elms and pines. Fruit
trees are about the mean: and those eniov
ms. the prea,act ;n,rr,;., 60 Ii,
-, . -, ~ az ''''e, ih"pie
aHh ieieh' counts Ior something IN
this, and also Isolation, the dampness of
the soil, and the form of the foliage and
a. the roots,'