The chronicle=news., 1913-04-19
ELECTRIC SPARK
SET PRAIRIE FIRE

OlhtisN bH i-irlflh NuhhhNs iioh'
regular reports received aud Inquiries
made by T. u. ionA!ngE. section di-
.ectur OF the weather bureau for
Kansas. Il appears very probable tha'
h. conflasrn,ion did not start from
my fire set by the hands OF man
Nor Was IL lightning. according TO
he best Information 80 far received,
although IL IL believed that IL WAS
aused by electricity.
ON Easter sunday high wind and
ey"rc dust storm prevailed IN west
rn Kansas. Ia The southwestern
art OF the state barb wltc fences
nd windmill towers become hishly
harg"d with electricity which would
lump from the metallic object and
II. person making the experiment
would hear swapping sound and
'eel the electricity tickling his I'm
,cys. NJ some places the same phe-
iomena was observed IN connection
with h0rfhs ears. II II person
ouchrd the ear of u horsr III. ani-
nal would shake It's head. Will. til.
.Np.rimcntcr cOnin feel II sligh;
hock and hear ia" crack Of 'h'
park.
1t Is believed that one OF those
lectric splrks set iIr. to the dry
.om.Ha had been observed In "Nnr-
Grated form on tine i. -. i.oush
'anch near Scott city. \ prairie fire
,ar,cd un this ranch AT "A spot whore
Ia man had been dnrins III" day. but
'.nr broken wiz" fence. OIhrr
enc.s In the vicinity were highly
harged with electricity and II is be
icy.d that this set fire to III. grass
nd started the dcstrn'tIv. lire,
which lid n good many thousand
lollar's worth oI damage.
Following arc some al the reports
rom local obf.rNtrs received by See
ion Director Jennings and showing
h. peculiar weather condition
which existed In Scott. Greeley and
Grant counties.
Scott CITY Mas most severe storm
= this section. lasting from I -. nj.
% i -. IN. The Wind blew first from
hg south ih'n from iho wcsi. Tho
ir was filled Wit. duSt during the
torn. Was no rain and rot a cioud
Ii" gun had Ia" appearance" Of being
hidden behind smoked ll.ss. The air
'ad depressing effect upon the peg
lie Mr. Lindcumutn. the Missouri |
'acifir operator here. says the
sitchbonrd snapped and popped.
ir. Silborg Of N. santa Fc saws ,hr
parks flew from his keyboard. mud
,vcryihing wa charged ~ 'laic'
livery barn where ~ phon" had been
aiken out. III" fire blew from on" ni
ne wires To the other and the III u |
.ho took hold OF them felt electric |
hooks. On wir" fences where o."
yould take hold OF u wire they would
eel the shock i. W. i.ouIh say
hat the prairie fiTc that burned
through his place started one NIL"
'cs, OF the house. where -rs ono had
zen. and IN the corner of u field
here part NJ III" fence was broken.
-ycral held the points OF wire fences
ogeth-r aud saw spaI';s ny OthcG-
scrc shocked by touching wInamills. !
nd II orc touched the end of n |
'orsc's car with the tip pf lin ser. |
he animal would shake its head and
on would feel the snap. u. i.pn- .
han. co-op.rativ" observer.
New tlyss..-On Easter SUNDAY
v. had a very severe wind storm ac-
ompanicd by dust from southwest |
md west. changing To northwest in |
he evening. People living in tn. |
'ountry reported that they received n
hook when touching wire fences and |
Windmill towers. There was noihin. |
unusual from ether windy days. cN-
opt this was little more severe. l
;uposc II was friciionnl electricity. |
auscd by the wind. The people We're |
depressed. whether from damage be-
rg done to cultivated fields or by |
he electricity. | do not know.
Charles T.. Ca sscu. cooperative OBJ |
erver and superintendent. Tribune |
alton. reports the following: March |
-. worst duet storm In years. storm
,as depressing effect on people. but
hicfly due tn intense heat. Grow
ng crops wiltcd u littlr. No ~ M
nent injury to them except from
Ugh winds and the dust.
One party here experienced n se-
we're and distinct shock as " start
ID to throw his Windmill out OF gear,
The mill had u wooden tower. and
when the electricity was grounded il |
erimcntcd and found that when he
cid short wire = or > inches from
he throwout wire he was able tc
lraw sparks which were visible and
made u peculiar swapping sound. He
tfso noticed this same snanDinc
iound as the throwout wirr swayed
o and fro in the wind before hel
.hrcw ont the mill.
Another party who rode several
miles on this date. although he had
covered rig. noticed that his hand
and face were tanned as though he
had been exposed to not summer
sun for several days. He thought
that this storm and the electricity IN
the air was the cause. He also felt
very depressed in spirit the evening
IF the day.
I'VE are making an effort to oh
ain more definite data regarding
these peculiar and. to the meteorol-
ogis.. very interesting electrical dis
turbnnccs In which though there Isl
no thunder or lightning, metallic OBJ
iects such rs windmills, wire fences
and stoves, become 80 charged With
electricity that Il distinct shock is
experienced from touching them. and