The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-04-04
FREAKS OF LraHTnrNG.
The Lancet.


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FREAKS OF LIGHTNrNG.
The Lancet.
Perhaps the most curious accom-
paniment OF a lightning shock is the
stripping on Of the clothes. This APP
pears to be very common. A writer
describes a case In which a man was
struck by lightning while standing by
willow tree. Immediately afterward
his boots were found at the foot Of
the tree and the man was lying on his
back two yards on. absolutely naked
except for part OF the left arm OF his
hannef-vest. tEt .
He was conscious. but much burned
around was shown with fragments of
the clothes. torn from top to bottom.
The boots were partly torn. eq
EXAMINATION mentions q case In 1888
In which three women were standing
around reaping machine when one
OF them was struck by lightning and
killed. Two others were -uninjured,
but they were stripped absolutely max
ed, even their boots being removed.
It has been suggested that the strip
ping of tho clothes is caused by the
rapid formation of steam. When trees
are struck the bark Is frequently torn
on. probably by the electricity passing
between IT and the wood. 1t is not
unreasonable to imagine that the same
explanation applies to the removal of
clothes.
Hair Completely Removed.
Little less remarkable is the shaving
effect which is sometimes seen. Two
men who were in windmill were
struck by lightning. They were both
rendered deaf, and the hair, beard and
eyebrows of one were burned. A worn-
an who was struck had the hair of
her head completely removed. Some
| times the hair returns and sometimes
the part Is permanently. bald. In, the
case at Krugersdorp bones were brok-
en-. and aefew other similar cases are
recorded; Probably in some OF them
the fracture was caused by the fall
Fiammarion mentions a case In which
eight sheep were struck. ALL their
bones had been broken as though
crushed In a mortar. The fall would
not account for this.
When an electric current Is passed
through a number OF persons holding
hands it is generally felt most by those
at the end of the chain. and several
cases have been recorded in which only
| those which NAV be called the termi-
nails OF series OF animals are dam
aged. Five horses In q line received
a stroke of lightning. Only the first
and the last were killed. On another
occasion Ave horses in a stable were
struck; the only animal to escape
death was the horse in the center.
| Several remarkable accounts have
! been recorded where alternate animals
4 Of a series have been killed. During
storm, In 1901 lightning entered a
stable where there were twenty cows
and 1t killed ten of them. The first,
third and so on. were killed. while the
second, the fourth and so on, survived.
1t Is certainly difficult to explain cases
such as these. but 1t would be unwise
to DENY the plausibiiity OF their oo-
currence.
Cases of complete incineretion are
not rare. but more remarkable are the
instances in which the hodv of a man
killed by lightning has appeared to he
mnaltered, but when touched it has
crunbled to dust. In, 1895 three sol
der took shelter under tree and
stroke of lightning killed them All.
but they all remained standing, and!
aven their clothes appeared to ba in
tact. but when touched the bodies fell
into q, l,aan nf aahaa. Abt. 't't e ~
Representations of surrounding obs
iects are sometimes said to have been
imprinted on the victims skins by a
lightning discharge. Nearly always
the picture is that of tree and may
the electricity. While not denying the
possibility of such picture-maixing. the
writer considers the evidence quite in
sufficient.
in one case woman was minding
COW and they were both struck by
lightning when shelterine under q
tree. The cow was killed. but the wo-
man. though for a time unconscious.
soon revived. On her breast was seen
,kat Ill., - I, H..
a healthy skepticism Is reasonable. for
the picture OF the COW was only seen
by peasants. itf
Finds His Lost Purse.
In the summer of 1865 DR.. Deren-
dnger was returning home by train.
When he got out at the station his
purse was missing. 1t was of tortoise
shell and on one side 1t had a m mo-
gram of two DIS intertwined. Some
to see stranger who had been found
unconscious under a tree, having been
struck by lightning.
1.-THE first thing he noticed on exam
| hing the man was that there was on
the. thigh a picture OF his own monogram
the intertwined DIS. He resuscitated
the man, who was taken to the hospit-
al. DIR. Derendinger said that his purse
would probably be found in the pa
TENTS pocket. and so 1t proved. This
case is certainly more easily under
stood. for the metal OF the monogram
would prove a good conductor, and so
we can imagine how its image might
be impressed on the skin. Similar
cases are recorded of the imprinting OF
money and other metallic objects on
the skin by lightning. and It is COM
mon to find burns on parts of the body
near matches or other metallic OBJ
jects.
"A very curious effect IL sometimes
produced. The person struck IL killed
and yet he remains in the very atti-
~ lie in which he was at the momenE
of death. Eight farm laborers were
resting at dinner time under an oak
when they were all struck and killed
by the same flash of lightning. When
found they appeared to be still eating
One had glass, another was carrying
a piece of bread to his mouth. ana .
third had his hand on a plate