Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-02-25
LIGHTNING A MYSTERY
This Phenomenon of Nature Is a
Puzzle to Science.
THE THEORY OF THUNDER.
In a General Way It Is Understood;
but, as a Matter of Fact, the Belt
From the Storm In Its Erratic Tend
eneies Defies the Investigator.

but, as a Matter Of Fact, the Bolt
From the Storm In Its Erratic Tend
eneies 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 WI know so little.
Man-made lightning-that is, cleo
tricity of the highest power, which
we can artiicially produce-will act
according to certain known laws. It
will, for instance, travel along a con-
ductor of metal.
But a 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 a flash of light
ming, says a writer in Parsons Week
ly. 1t is estimated that a fash Of
lightning a mile long represents a
pressure of discharge equal to 3,000,-
100000 volts.
As such a fash 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, If we could find some
means of saving and using lightning
we should be the richer by a good
round sum for every flash.
Lightning is. as we know. usually
accompanied by a peal of thunder,
which is louder the nearer the nearer
is to the point OF the discharge, but
this is not an invariable rule. There
are cases on record of most destruc-
tive lightning flashes which were I'M
accompanied by sound.
Such a phenomenon occurred Mt Brad
ford some years ago. What Is de-
scribed as "a silent thunderbolt" fell
In a graveyard, destroying n monu-
ment and smashing to atoms nearly
seventy glass cases containing wreaths
and flowers.
In the same summer Swanscombe.
In Kent. was terrified by a freak Of
lightning. All of a sudden "a great
mass of blue fire" swept along the
street, and next moment 1t was seen
that the fine old parish church. built
nearly 700 years ago. had been struck.
The building. with all its fine old
carved oak, was soon a roaring fur
mace. and only a part of the chancel
was saved.
Scientists are still hopelessly at sea
as to the cause of that peculiar phe-
nomenon known as globe lightning. At
Coventry some years ago during a vio-
lent thunderstorm 1t passed alcSse1Aa
street Yfae a. scar, Dunble 9uiiIS d Dfde
fire and drifted into a shed. where 1t
exploded, blowing the roof off the
place.
At Rheims. In France, a similar fire
ball came into a cobbler's shop
through the open window. The soil
tary occupant of the place sat perfect
ly still. paralyzed with terror, while
his fearful visltant lowered for sever
al seconds overhead. Then 1t moved
toward the fireplace and presently
passed up the chimney.
Next moment there was an explo-
sion like a 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 a house on Lake Wiener. in Sweden,
when just after a vivid fash of light
ming a brilliant white ball appeared
over the table and after hanging poised
there for some seconds went off with
with a loud bang.
Fortunately it did no harm to any
one. although 1t was quite close to
several people. Those who saw 1t sug-
gesteu 1t was IKE a ban or cola hight
ming.
In November. 1902, Sydney. Austria
lia. was visited by a terrific dust
storm, In the midst of which a perfect
rain of electric Fl g balls began to fall.
These set fire to a number of houses,
and a 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 a mountain in the
Caucasus when a huge violet ball, sur
rounded by vivid rays, struck a rock
near by and, exploding like a bomb.
burst into atoms. One of the party
was badly hurt.
Stilton Cheese.