Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-11

dark lightning is product of the lab
oratory. In the development of cam
era plates that have been exposed to
lightning flashes some of the streak
to be due to overexposure. Prints
made from the negatives show the
streaks as dark lines, hence the ex-
preston dark lightning"
The path of a lightning fash is fire.
quently shifted by wind. The action
of the wind appears to broaden the line
Of lightning until it resembles a rib
bon The uniform broadening along
the entire length of a lightning flash
has probably never been observed.
Countless stories from all classes of
people in every section of a country
bear witness to lightning pranks.
While. no doubt, imaginative and ex-
citable people highly color m4ny light
ming stories. still there is a germ oe
truth in them all. Ball lightning has
given rise to innumerable curious
stories. and upon investigation there
seems to be little to prove or Gisprove
them beyond the word OF the narrator
Here is an experience young girl
had with this mysterious form of light
ming: She was sitting on table. her
feet hanging down but not touching
the floor. when a ball of lightning ad-
vanced over the floor toward her 1t
rose near her. moving aroanC her as
it mounted toward the ceiling. Alb
ruptly it darted off toward t..e Chin
ney and mounted until = reached the
open air. where il exploded VITA ire
mendous crash.
Another interesting tale il recorded
about couple of French children and
their experience with ball lightning.
al the commune of Bengono Two chill
the door of a barn which stabbed twen-
ty-fve oxen Some thirty yards dis
tGnt was pond nea- which grew a
taii poplar The ball lightning. which
res.nbled a small sphere OF fire, was
fret observed near the TOD of the pop
lar and il descended the trunk of the
,yee slowly. Reaching the ground. It
Travelled up the courtyard which led
to the barn and seemed carefully to
choose it's way between the small pools
OF water which had formed during the
storm. When il reached the barn door
one Of the children daringly extended
a foot and touched this luminous ball
Of fire Immediately there was an ap-
palling crash and the two children
were hurled to the ground. They were
unframed. according TO the story. but
eleven of the twenty-five oxen were
killed outright.
always more or less alarming in
country where the lightning is sharp
and Is known to strike freely. Light
ming struck the home of peaceful
couple during IA night Of the year 1897.
The chimney was badly damaged, the
debris falling into the room. The
story goes that bricks from wall
were thrown by the thUnderboIt with
such extraordinary force against the
opposite wall that they were imbedded.
The windows of the room were smashed
to atoms. The couple, who had been
aroused from their slumbers by this
uproar. did not walt until morning to
Investigate. They found evidences Of
the lightning having struck the dairy.
The lids Of many Of the milk pans were
broken. and from pile of dozen
plates four were shattered and the
other eight were left intact.
A clergyman is said to have been an
actual observer of the following: Ten
harvest hands. TO escape drenchin2
made their way to crude sort OF
lodge. A deafening clap Of thunder
fash Of lightning which killed four Of
taking snuff and was found with the
snun between thumb md finger, lis
hand half raised. Another had been
petting a dog at the moment of catas-
trophe. Both man and dog were killed.
the man with one hand on the dogs
head. The third man sat quietly fac
ing the storm. his eyes wide open,
seeming to stare into the distance.
Har. inat,pca of .,,,ad;,,o,J