Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-01-26
LIGHTNING A MYSTERY
This Phenomenon OF Nature Is q
Puzzle to Science.
THE THEORY OF THUNDER.

In General Way II Is Understood;
but, as q Matter Of Fact, the Belt
From the Storm In It's Errstic Tend
eneies Defes the investigator.
In a general way we understand the
theory OF thunderstorms. As mat
~ OF fact there is no phenomenon
% nature. but excepting even earth
quaSes, OF which we know SO little.
Man-made lghtaing-that is. elec.
tricity OF the highest power. which
we can artifcially produces act
according 10 certain known laws IL
viii. for instance. travel along a CON.
ductor OF metal
But flash OF lightning will FIRE
quent leap from 4 well defined metal
path and launch itself through the air
or some adjacent object which X an
infinitely poorer conductor.
This may be due TO the almost in
conceivable force OF a fash OF light
ming. says a writer In Parsons Week.
ly. Ii IS estimated that dash Uf
lightning n mile long represents a
pressure Of discharge equal TO 3.,fss.-
100000 volts
AS such n fash lasts only about the
thousandth part OF \ second tn, en-
ergy diSsipated by the discharge is
equal TO 100000 horsepower Put in
other words. IL we could 6rd some
means OF saving aud using lightning
we should be the richer hv -,.ud
round sum for every fash.
Lightning l.. ~ We know. usually
accompanied by a peal OF thunder
which is louder ,he nearer the bearer
is TO the point ~ the Gi., hare. uu,
this is not an invariab,e rams. Their.
are cases On record OF most GeSfrRc-
tive lightning flashes which were un-
accompanied by sound.
Such phenomenon occurred g. r--lc-
ford some years ago. What is de
scribed rs n silent thunderbolt~ fell
in a graveyard. destroying one monu-
ment and smashing TO atoms nearly
seventy glass cases containing wreaths
and flowers
In the same summer SwanscomOe.
in Kent. was terrified by Il freak OF
lightning. All OF Il sudden n great
mass OF blue fire" swept along the
street. and next moment IL was seen
that the fine old parish church. built
nearly 700 years ago. had been struck
The building. with ali its fine old
carved oak. was soon n roaring fur
mace. and only n part OF the chancel
was saved.
Scientists are still hopelessly at sea
as TO the cause OF that peculiar pho
nomenoD known as globe lightning. At
Coventry some years ago during vio-
lent thunderstorm IL passed along n
street like soap bubble built OF blue
fire and drifted into shed, where it
exploded blowing the roof off the
place.
At Rheims. in France, n similar Gre
ball came into n cobbler's shop
through the open window. The soil
tary occupant OF the place sat perfect
ly still, paralyzed with terror, while
his fearful visitant lowered for sever
al seconds overhead. Then It moved
toward the fireplace and presently
passed up the chimney.
Next moment there was an explo-
sion like n shell bursting. and the up
per part OF the chimney came crashing
down.
Not long ago Count G. Hamilton
made a record Of a similar freak OF
electricity. He was sitting at dinner
at house n Lake Wiener. in Sweden.
when just after vivid fash Of light
ming a brilliant white ball appeared
over the table and after hanging poised
there for some seconds went or with
with loud bang.
Fortunately IT did no harm 10 any
one, although 1t was quite close to
/ several people. Those who saw IL sug-
gested 1t was like a ball OF cold light
ming.
In November. 1902, Sydney, Austria
la, was visited by a terrific dust
storm, IN the midst Of which a perfect
rain Of electric q c balls began TO fall.
These set fire 10 a number OF houses,
and most appalling panic set In. A
cry was raised that the end of the
world was at hand, and people rushed
out OF their houses into the ink black.
dust deep streets.
The most amazing and terrifying
| displays OF the power OF lightning are
seen on mountains. In 1890 a party
was on the top OF 4 mountain in the
Caucasus when a huge violet ball. sur
rounded by vivid rays, struck a rock
near by anG, exploding like a bomb,
burst into atoms. One OF the party
was badly hurt