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

Camille Flammarion,
The Famous Astronomer Who Has Been Studying
the Tricks OF Lightning.
as to a law Sometimes it gives rise to the
hypothesis that ii is a thought which, IN
stead of being attached to brain, Is at
tachcd to an electric current.
'AH that can be affirmed for the present
is that in spite of it's apparent independ-
ence lightning does not act as freely as we
might be inclined to believe. 1t obeys GER
tain laws still undetermined, and its &C
tons. seemingly so unresulated and so ca
PRECIOUS are not the result of sheer acct
dent. The plea of chance is sought as
refuge for our ignorance. but it cannot ex-
plain these fantastical phenomena
1.-The only sure way to reach general
facts is by consulting particulars, This is
the method 1 invariably adopt in invesd-
eating any scientific subject. Now, here
are few of the strange freaks of light
ming which I have succeeded in bringing
together:
Able SpalIanzini relates that August 20,
1871. a peasant girl was in a field during
a storm when suddenly a globe of fire the
size of billiard ball appeared at her feet.
Gliulng along the earth this little pail
reached her bare toes, which 1t appeared
opening her skirts like umbrella and
came out by the middle of her bodice. leap
Ing into the air with great noise, having
retained its globular form. The girl fell
backward. TWO witnesses ran to her as
sistance She was uninjured. Medical ex-
animation proved that there was only
superficial erosion stretching from the knee
10 the middle of the chest. and that her
clothes were cut through where the pail
had passed out.
In 1897, at Lguy. France. husband and
his wife were sleeping quietly one night
when a formidable noise awoke them sud
denly. The chimney had fallen, filling the
room with debris. Within the house the
effects of the bolt had been as terrifying.
but remarkably eccentric. Just beneath
the ceiling, near which hung a harrow
with kitchen utensils hooked on it. the
stones OF the wall had been projected hori-
zontally with such violence that they
stuck in the wall opposite. While all the
glasses in the windows were smashed.
mirror was detached from the wall and
laid uninjured on the floor. A chair, with
clothes thrown on 1t. was taken up and
set down near the entrance door. small
lamp and a box OF matches were found on
the floor unchanged.
Harmless enough are such little pranks
as these But II must not be forgotten that
some strokes of lightning are vertable ca
tastrophes One day during d religious
ceremony at Carpentras fifty persons were
killed injured by lightning. On the
sloop Sappho. in February, 1920 six men
were killed and fourteen seriously injured.
At Grosshad, near Duren, Germany, July
II. 1851. 100 persons were injured in a
church and six killed. AT Mount Pleasant
Tenn. July l., 1887. nine persons were
killed under an oak during a storm.
LAS rule those killed by lightning
maintain an appearance of life. staying in
the attitude which they had when struck.
but if touched they crumble to ashes. Many
mysterious historical disappearance may
be attributed to this phenomenon notably
that q ROmnluS. while reviewing the troops
in the Caprian Marsh.
"An English minister named Butler wit
messed the following fact: In the town Of
Everdon ten harvesters had sought refuge
under a hedge during a storm. Lightning
struck and killed four, who were left as il
petrified. One was found holding in his
fingers the snuff which he was about to
take Another had little dead dog on his
knees and had one hand on the animals
head while holding in the other some bread
with which he had been feeding it. A third
was sitting with his eyes open and his head
turned toward the storm.
May "A. 1904 at Carolles France
Madamoselle Moreau was stricken while
sitting at the hreside with some friends
They were unhurt. but she was killed out
right. the lightning burrowing under the
right ear and passing out by the left.
ave sometimes find lightning taking a
part In judicial matters. July 90 1872 a
negro named Norris was to be hanged for
murder in Kentucky. Just as he was
stepping on the platform a formidab BILE
. stroke of lightning killed him. The sheriff
was so impressed by this occurrence that
he resigned.
"Or. again. II may play the physician
In September. 1895 at Romaines. France, a
tavern-keeper named F'inot was standing on
his door step watching the storm when a
stroke OF lightning upset him and threw
him to the end Of the room. He remained
unconscious for time and blinded for ten
hours. Having had rheumatism for some
years, he could not take a step without
the aid of a stick Since then he no longer
requires stick, but can do what he likes
Politics also appear to have their power
of attraction. When Mckinley ran for the
presidency with Hobart large barn had
been built by an ardent republican named
Abner Mllikan, and decorated with ltho-
graph pictures of the two. During a storm
the building was several times struck by
lightning. and seemed wrapped in flames
No harm was done. but IT was found that
the pictures had disappeared and silhou-
cites of them were traced on the wall
*