St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1910-01-21
LIGHTNING A MYSTERY
This Phenomenon of Nature Is a
Puzzle to Science.
THE THEORY OF THUNDER.
In . General Way u 10 Understood, |,
but, - q Matter Of Fact, the Bolt
From the Storm In Its Errstie Tend.
sneies Defies the Investigator.

but, ~ o Matter Of Fact, the Bolt
From the Storm In Its Errstie Tend.
sncies Defies the Investigator.
In a general way we understand the
theory Of thunderstorms. As a mat.
ter Of fact there is no phenomenon
Of nature, but excepting even earth
quakes. Of which we know so little.
Man-made lightning-that Is. elec.
tricity of the highest power. which
we can arti6cially produce-will act
according to certain known laws. 1t
will. for instance, travel along n con.
ductor OF metal.
But fash OF lightning will fire.
quent leap from a well defined metal
path and launch itself through the air
or some adjacent object which Is an
Infinitely poorer conductor.
This may be due to the almost In.
conceivable force Of fash OF light
ming, says a writer I'm Pearson's Week.
ly. II Is estimated that a fash Of
lightning mile long represents a
pressure OF discharge equal to 1900
100000 volts.
As such n flash lasts only about the
thousandth part OF a second the en-.
ergy dissipated by the discharge Is
equal to 100000 horsepower. Put In
other words. II we could find some
means OF saving and using lightning
we should be the richer by good
round sum for every fash.
Lightning In. as we know, usually
accompanied by peal OF thunder,
which IN louder the nearer the bearer
II TO the point OF the discharge. but
this is not an iDvarIable rule There
are cases on record OF most destruc.
tive lightning flashes which were un.
accompanied by sound.
Such phenomenon occurred nt Brnd.
ford some years ago. What In de-
scribed as n silent tbundcrbolt fell
IN n graveyard. destroying one monu.
meDt and smashing to atoms nearly
seventy glass cases containing wreaths
and flowers.
In the same summer Swnnscombe.
IN Kent. was terrified by n freak OF
lightning. All OF sudden IA great
mass OF blue frc" 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 nil It's 1nc old
carved oak. was soon n roaring fur
mace. and only n part Of tho chancel
was snvcdl
Scientists arc stlli hopclcssly at sen
M 10 the cause Of that peculiar phe.
nomenoD known as globe lightning. At
Coventry some years ago during vio-
lent thunderstorm u passed along n
street like n sonp bubble built OF blue
hrc ana drlftcd into n shed. where Il
exploded. blowing the roof or the
place.
At Rheims. In France. n similar Ore
ball came Into cobblcr's shop
through the open window. Tho soil.
tary occupant OF the place sat perfect.
iy still. paralyzed with terror. while
his fearful visitant lowered for sever
al seconds overhead. Then II 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 q. Hamilton |
made a record OF a similar freak Of |
lie was sitting at dinner
nc house on Lake Wiener. IN Sweden.
when just after n vivid flnsh OF light. |
ming a brilliant white ball appeared |
over the table ana after hanging poised
there for some seconds went on with |
with a loud bang.
Fortunately II did no harm 10 any
one. although II was quite close 20
several people. Those who saw Il sug-
gested II was like a ball Of cold light.
ming.
In November 1902. sydney. Austria.
LA. was visited by terrific dust
storm. Ia the midst OF which q perfect
rain Of electric Il 9 balls began TO fall.
These set tlre 10 n number OF houses.
,nd most appalling panlc set Ia. A
Try was raised that the end OF the
world was at hand, aud people rushed
Dut OF their houses into the Ink black,
lust deep streets.
displays OF the power OF lightning are
seen on mountains. In 1870 party
was on the top of mountain In tho
Caucasus when a huge violet ball. sur
by vivid rays. struck a rock
near by and. exploding like a bomb.
burst into atoms. one OF the party
Was badly hurt