Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-08-08
WIG. YOUNG WRITES
ABOUT LIGHTNING

ADUUl LlullilVElvU
Roseburg, Oregan, July %. 1913.
Dear MIR. Editor. Though |
cannot see, and talk to you, |
guess | can write on the strength
of your invitation. You ask
from those who have observed,
TO give YOU the benefit of their
observation, as to the kind of
trees that are most liable to be
struck by lightning. and as |
have always been a little inclined
to be sNttish, and nervous,
when the electric fluid would get
too close to suit me, and have
noticed pretty closely what it
would strike, will give you my
experience, or tell what have
observed. On my fathers farm
in Grayson of over tS00 acres q
large part of which was in limb
er, and where the trees were
generally pretty much the same
hight, | found more Oak, and
Chestnut trees struck than any
other kind. Do not remember
of having ever seen a Hickory
tree on it struck, occasionally a
Popular. Along the streams,
and on the Iron mountain where
the tall White Pines grew to an
enormous hight for that county
| have seen many of them that
had been struck, and a piece less
than foot wide stabbed out
nearly the entire lenght of the
tree. Close to our house was a
very large, and tall Apple tree
that was struck near the top but
the fluid only followed the limb
but a few feet when it flew off.
There were three pretty tall
Locust trees in our yard that
were never struck, but an old
round iron lightning rod with
the point off, and nearly ready
to fall over as the insulators
were nearly all off, on a chimney
close to one OF them was struck,
and to our surprise it carried the
current down the house and
porch roofs TO the floor of the
porch, where it left the rod,
and ripped up two of the floor
planks. AS to the Locust being
the most liable to be struck as
some believe, do not think there
is much in it, if they are in the
forest, and have an equal chance
with other timber of equal hight,
but the Locust is often in the
pastures for shade, and being
the only trees left consequently
it catches it. The Oak. Chest
nut, Pine, and many other kinds,
are more open grained, and
carry more moisture than the
Locust, and ought to be con-
ductors. | do not recollect of
ever having seen Beech tree
that was struck though | looked
closely when in the Beech tim
Der, as | had always heard that
the Indians considered it i'm
mune and would take refuge
under them when they would
no other and | never heard of
one until recently in your paper
one Of your correspondents from
Clear Fork | think mentioned
one that had been. Do not re-
collect of ever seeing Walnut
tree that was struck. On my
fathers farm on the Cinch where
Sam c. Peery now lives, was a
hill side over on the Wilson"
place next to Mr.. Bustons of
some IL or Is acres that had
been deadened, a year or so be-
fore we moved there in 1875, and
there was nearly every kind of
tree on it including some very
large Walnut trees, and a fine
Sugar orchard before these trees
had fallen or taken off, many of
them especially the Oaks, and
Sugar trees, and two Wild Cher
ries, were struck, but the Wal
nuts escaped, and the Big live
Buckeye" tree that was stand
ing when / left Virginia, and
was measured five feet above the
ground by Major Britain when
he surveyed the place, and meas
ured 81 feet around, was struck
by lightning where Mr.. A. j.
Steele had the land rented, and