Effect Of Lightning On Trees

The theory of the splittir QL e trunks of trees by ligtning M , rosuU of the sudden evaporatio of the u dg contained within their nag received uch oonfirmation from -„perimentg made by Osborn Keynol who 8UCCeeded in sphtting smai' gtick8 of wood by pas3ing tu6 le5tr'-o spark through them, after tney n a been impregnated with water. ■H8 also burst email glass tubes, which Wí-re ñlled with water, although the same 'ubes, when empty, allowed the eleotric spark to jump through them without in the least disturbing them. The most striking experiment made by him was upon a tube three-eighths of an inch exterior and one-eighth of an inch interior diameter, which oould stand a pressure of at least 200 atmospheres to the square inch ; this tube was 14 inches long and bent at a right angle. A very large electie flash being sent through the tube, it was split by the first discharge, and the pieces thrown to a distance of several feet, completely pulverized, as though it had been struck by a hammer. Eeynolds estimates that the pressure must have been more than 1,000 atruospheres.