Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-20
New Facts About Lightning.
Downright. 1907 nv John Elfreth watkins.)

Copyright, 1907, by John Elfreth Watkins''
Fear of lightning received the heaviest
parcartage In a census Of fears recently
taken by Clark University. Yet an invests
cation lately made by the weather bureau
shows that an average OF only 500 Ameri-
cans are being Killed by lightning per
annum. The average Yankees chance OF
being slain by q thunderbolt this summer
is. therefore, about one IN 100000. lie Is
ten times more likely to be drowned, eight
times more likely to be burned or scalded
to death and nearly four times more likely
to be shot to death.
Danger from lightning Is largely d mat
ter OF locality, however. The weather
bureau has compiled chart Of thunder
storm frequencies which shows that the
belt OF most numerous visitations includes
all Of Florida except the southernmost tip,
also the lower edge OF Georgia and the
southeastern corner OF Alabama. Here an
average OF forty-Gve thunderstornls year
Is experienced. and the region is not one
to be highly recommended TO persons suf-
feriag from morbid fear of these phe-
nomena. The zone OF next greatest ire
quenoy inciu;es more northern parts of
Georgia and Alabama. and its average Is
forty storms Tor annunl. Thirty-five per
year are experienced in a somewhat ir-
regular belt north O. this. and including still
more northern parts of the states last
named. rs well as the whole of Missis-
sppi and Louisiana, nearly all of Tennes-
see, the adjacent corners OF Illinois and
Kentucky. the southern part of Arkansas
and the eastern-central part of Texas. An
other belt of equal intensity obtains
throughout central Illinois and adjacent
sections of Indiana, Iowa and Missouri.
The region from the Virginia capes to
Connecticut escapes with an average or
TWENTY-FIVE such commissions, while Boston
is visited by only twenty West or the
Tooth meridian frequency diminishes until
the Rockies are reached and on the Paclhc
slope there are practically no such storms
whatever.
Our Zone of Greatest Danger.
Oddly enough the region of greatest dan
ger from lightning stroke does not coincide
with our zone Of greatest thunderstorm
frequency, but includes southern Vermont,
the whole of Massac husetts. Rhode Island,
Connecticut New York. New Jersey, Fem
sylvania Delaware, West Virginia, Ohio
Kentucky. Indiana. eastern Illinois, VIZ
ginia and the greater part of Maryland
In this zone over five deaths per o,VV
square miles per year are caused by thun-
derbolts Three to five deaths per 10000
is the rule In a surrounding region In
GLIDING Chicago, St. Paul, Des Moines
st. Louis, Memphis. Atlanta and Norfolk
Between one and three fatalities per 10000
IL the rule In a third zone, north, south
and west of the last described and includ-
ing PASSPORT. Montreal. Duluth, Bismark,
Huron, North Platte. Galveston, New Or
leans and Jacksonville. In the country
westward less than one death per 10000
miles occurs.
Danger from thunderbolts Is also a mat
ter of occupation. Four times more people
of outdoor pursuits than of indoor occu
pations are struck. Men, like animals. are
more apt to be struck when collected In
groups than when alone. Out of every