The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-18
QUEER FREAKS OF
 THE LIGHTNING Bolts frsm the Sky Play
 Strange Franks RESTORE LOST SENSES Sight and Hearing Have Been Known to Be Restored Under the ln-
 fluence of Electrical
 Phenomena.
From the Denver Post. =

It is found that the fatalities from light ming depend partly from the frequency of the strokes per unit of area, partly on the density of population, and partly upon the character of the thunderstorms which traverse the region.
 In the United States thunderstorms oc- cur with considerable frequency all over the territory east of the Tooth meridian. West of that meridian, except in the re- zion of the Rocky mountains, the ire quency steadily diminishes. reaching that of zero at the Pacific coast
 There are three regions of maximum thunderstorm frequency, viz. One Tn the southeast, with its crest over Flor ida; one in the middle Mississippi valley, and one in the middle Missouri valley The average number of such storms an- nually in the first named region Is 45; in the second, 35, and in the last, 30.
 The statisticc for the five years. 1896- 1900, show that the greatest number of fatal cases of lightning strokes occurred in the middle Atlantic states, the next greatsest in the Ohio valley and Tennes- see, with the middle and upper Missis- sippi valley a close third. The greatest number of deaths in any single state in any of the five years oc- cured in Pennsylvania, which were 1s6 followed by Ohio with 135 and Indiana Illinois and New York 124 each The greatest fatality from a single stroke oc- cured at Chicago, H.. where eleven per sons huddled together In a zinc-lined shanty under a North shore pier met in- stant death by single bolt.
 Chances of Being Struck.
 As already stated, the chances of be- ing struck by lightning depend upon the frequency of lightning strokes per unit of area, which unit has been fixed at 10000 square miles; also on the density of popu- lation, the rate per million of total popu- lation being taken. In addition, the rate per million of rural population has en- tered Into the computation.
 Comparison of the figures under each of these heads shows that in the Gulf states the average thunderstorm frequency is quite high.
 In New England, with probably one half as many thunderstorms, the death rate per unit of area Is two. There being no large cities in the south the rate per million of population and of total popu- lation Is practically the same, viz: six and i've in the Gulf states and nine and eight respectively, in the South Atlantic states
 belief that the chances of injury by lightning in a large city are less than those in the country is rather general, but 1t is hard to determine what founda- tion there Is for such a belief, as there Is no given area In any city that Is free from lightning stroke, and when we com pare the area of large cities with the immense territory embraced in the rural districts, it Is not surprising that so few lightning strokes fall in the cities The modern city building, with its metallic roofs and steel frames. Is fairly good conductor of electricity, and Is in mucn less danger of receiving a damaging stroke of lightning than is an issolated building of wood out in the open country.
 Telegraph Wires.
 The multiplication of telegraph wircs telephone and electric light wires also add to the effectiveness of a silent dis charge in relieving the electric tension during thunderstorm but should cloud with tremendous energy quickly approach, all of the wires in a dozen cities would not prevent It's continued dis charge in every direction until itx energy was spent.
 In New England the death rate by light ming per million of the rural inhabitants is nearly double that of the entire popGl1- ton pc million, and the same holds true of the densely populated districts of the Middle Atlantic states.
 ThunderstorIns in the United States pro not limited to the warm seasons. al- though a great majority of the storms happen in June, July and August Win- ter thunderstorms are not infrequent in the Gulf states, and occasionally extend along the coast as far as Massachusetts. and at the close of winter the region of most frequent storms of this nature is the lower Mississippi valley.
 One of the most remarkable electrical storms on record occurred in Paris on the 4th of April, 1866. The remarkable feature was the number of thunderbolte which fell without any serious injury to the inhabitants.
 As the clouds were very low a great number of houses felt the influence of the mass Of electricity lowering over the city.
 of lightning pass down the stair:ase of the house she was in without feeling any effects from 1t whatever, and all of the lightning conductors must have acted to their utmost to have withdrawn the iin- mense quantity of electricity.
 The currents passed down the pipes or water troughs of the roofs and ST rang 10 whatever metallic conductor might be near.
 Goes Down Pipes.
 In many instances the lightning passed down the gas pipes of the hoI ses. and snark having melted the leaden pipe. 2 jet fo gas was produced. which immedi- ately took fire.
 These large flames created a great panic tha paopIa nd general conf isioD