Laurel outlook., 1947-10-01
Lightning Causes
Small Death Toll
Electrical Engineers Suggest
Safety Tips to Avoid
Unnecessary Risk.

WASHINGTON Electrical engi-
neers at the national bureau OF
standards, who make a special
study of protection against light
ming, say that many persons over
estimate the margin of safety. They
take unnecessary risks because OF
previous immunity in many thun-
derstorms and a realization that the
death toll is relatively small-about
375 900 to one.
In recent years an average of $40
persons has been killed by lightning
annually, according to reports to
the national office of vital statistics.
That means about one fatality to
every 375 5000 persons.
1t is not necessary to dive under
a bed or scramble for a closet dur
ing a thunderstorm, but it is a good
idea, say the engineers, to use sem
sible precautions.
Some Safety Tips.
Here are some safety tips from
the bureau of standards experts:
The danger of being struck gen.
orally is much greater outdoors
than in a house, even though the
house is not specially protected.
Keep away from lone trees, wire
fences, long wire clotheslines and
other prominent objects likely to be
hit by lightning and to carry the
current a long distance.
Isolated trees are particularly
dangerous. Metropolitan Life Insur-
ance company made a study of
death claim records of insured per-
sons killed by lightning in the 1941-
As period. 1t shows one-third Of
them lost their lives when they
sought shelter under trees.
Open sheds or small outbuildings
away from large buildings are al
most as dangerous as lone trees.
If outdoors in an electric storm,
look for a depression in the ground,
a deep valley, the foot of a steep
cliff or dense woods.
If you are on a golf course and
see thunderheads approaching, get
under cover.
Bathing beaches can be quite
hazardous.
Places described as perfectly
safe" are rooms entirely sur
rounded by metal, underground
rooms or rooms in a steel-framed
building. The next safest place is a
well-rodded house, but even there
some precautions are advised.
What to Do in a Home.
The bureau of standards advises
all to keep away from those parts
Of outside walls near the places
where lightning conductors pass
into the earth" Also stay away
electrical wiring, telephones
and large metal objects. The vicin-
Ity of doWnspouts on the exterior of
is dangerous.
If you are in the house during a
thunderstorm take a position as
near the middle of the room as prac-
.icable but do not get under an cleo
ric lighting fixture.
Automobiles and trains are rated
IS good shelters from lightning,
heir steel bodies apparently serv-
ng as metallic shields. Airplanes
ire generally quite safe for the
anne reason. On the other hand
PERSONS in small boats are likely to
conspicuous targets.
Do not take literally the old adage
hat lightning never strikes twice
n the same place" 1t hits natural
argets like the Washington monu-
nent, the Empire State building,
all trees and church steeples with
.reat frequency.
A striking repeat" occurred a
ew years ago on a beach neal New
,ork City. Three persons were
illed and II injured by a bolt which
it in almost the same spot and
vithin a day of the same date on
Thich lightning had killed the same
umber the year before.
About ~nine-tenths of the lightning
casualties are in rural districts.
len and boys are the chief victims
lightning, owing to their greater