Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-25
BY F. v. COLLINS

which the unfortunate human victims
formed parts.
THE degree of conductivity exercised by
a small metallic substance about the
person, as a ring or bracelet, seems to be
matter of dispute. some affirming that such
small articles would exert no influence in
inducing the direction OF lightning, while
Others are ready to cite number of recorded
instances tending to an opposite conclusion.
Thus, there is the well known story of a
young woman, in full dress. going to an open
window on the approach OF a storm with the
intention of determining whether 1t was rain
ing. A flash of lightning at the moment
struck the house, and the descending bolt
completely melted or fused bracelet on her
arm. She escaped injury.
A German writer, giving an account of
curious examples of the effects OF electrical
discharges, cites the case of a peasant girl
who, being overtaken by thunder shower
when working in the fields, had gold pin,
which was passed through her hair behind to
keep it in place, fused and dissipated by
stroke of lightning without herself sustaining
any harm. 1t is well known that whenever
the electric discharge takes in its course
metallic substance that, though good con-
ductor, IS not sufficient in mass to furnish
free passage for it, the metal is heated and
perhaps fused; and sometimes, when 1t is
quite small in relation to..the electricity pass
ing through it, it is disspated entirely in
species of vapor.
This can be shown by variety of labora-
tory experiments. A thin film of silver or
gold leaf or fine wire, placed between two
plates of glass, when a charge is passed
through too great for the conducting ca
pacity of the metal, are fused, and the ma
r,a1o rte Of tod
the surfaces of glass. This would appear
to give plausibility to stories related of
women wearing necklaces of silver beads or
gold chains being struck by lightning and
stunned, and then, on recovering. finding
the forms of beads or links of chain impressed
upon the skin.
NEW developments in odd freaks of light
~ ming are to be constantly noted;
though. however grotesque and bizarre such
happenings, they clearly illustrate natural
laws governing the manifestations of at
mospheric electricity, and in some instances
suggest remedial measures.
In England there was recently a remark
able case Of injury by lightning at distance
of fifty miles from the storm. An electrician
was repairing a telegraph fixture by the side
of a railway line, when he received shock
that rendered him insensible and from
which he died after two months illness.
Other instances are known where the natu-
raj electrical discharge has travelled for con-
siderable distances along railway tracks to
the station, where it has blown out the fuses.
A singular case was reported some years
ago in this country. A man was struck by
lightning and killed, and as the body
was being prepared for burial by the under
taker storm came on, and the latter was
killed by bolt which also, apparently,
struck the body of the other.
One of the most interesting results from
recent Investigations respecting danger
from lightning is the determination of the
degrees of attraction of various kinds of
soils. A dry, chalky soil is found to be
practically immune from lightning strokes.
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