Lightning

iiie ímount oí uestrnction oí lite and property by b'ghtning, or rather electrical discharges, hns been very great throughout tlic world. It is esnmafed that ai least 45 persons are killed annunlly by lightning in tliis country. The average nnmlier f deaths by lightuingliiiN been 22 iu Eugland, 9 iu SwreeHalid, q iu Belgium, and 75 in Franco. In France alono, during a period of 3Ü years, over 10,000 persona were smítten, of wfiicn 2,252 were instrntly killed. Eiglity wero Woilnded and 9 killed during one thunderstorm at Chateaunenf les Montiers in 1801, and within one week, when the air was highly oharged with electricity, 33 fearíul flashes of lightning were observed, eaoli bringmg death to some victims. During the sixteen years between 1799 and 181G, 156 véasela of the British na-vy were BCrack by lightning ; 73 men were killed and 138 injured, ana tlie loss of materials amounted to over a million iloJlars; but since the system el metallic conductora, adapted for voseéis, devised by Sir W. Snow Hárrisj has been :])plied to the vessels in that navy, the lofsei and damages by lightning liave almost entirely ceased, although the number of veesels has been greatly increased. In "Fuller's Clnuch History" it is stated that " scarcely a great abbey in Eugland exists whicíi once, at least, was not burned down by lightning from lienven." On one night of April, 1718, twentyf our steejilos were struck along the coast of Brittany ; and on the llth of January, 1815, twelve steeples suffered a similar f ate in the Khenish provincee. On the 27th of July, 1759, lightning bumt all the woqd-work of tbe great cathedral at Strnsboürg; and on tUe 14tti of August, 1133, it was struck threo times within a quarter of an hour, and so much damasred tbat the repairs oost about $6,000,000. In 1835 lighttung conductors were placed upon the building and steeple, and since then it lias nol been damaged whatever by lightning, allhough discharges havo on several occasions öccürfed in line wifli the top of the steeple, which is 437 feet above the ground. On tbe 18th of August, 1769, the Tower of St. Nnzaire, at Breada, was i struck, and the subterranean powder magazine, oontaining 2,076,000 lbs. of powder, belonging to the republic of Venice, was exploded. One-sixth of the whole tov a was laid in ruins and the rest very muc i injured, and about 3,000 persons lulled. On the 26th of June, 1807, the powder magazine of Lnxembourg, containing 28,000 pounds, was struek, md, besides about 30 persons killed and 200 injured, ! the town was ruined. Explosions and largo fires, involving a great loss, have become rather frequent in mis country, owing to the iron tanks usetl for the storage of petroleum being struck by lightning. From March to August, in 187G, over 10,000,000 gallons, and on April' 19, 1877, over 2,000,000 gallons of oil and the village of Troutman, were destroyed in the oil regions of Peunsylvama. In the States of Illinois and Iowa, and the prairie country west of the Mississippi river, thundei'-stortns are generally more terriflc, and more lives have been Ijst there irom the effects of lightning than in any other section of this country. Owing to the said country being level and devoidoi' trees, the equilibrium between the electricity of the atmosphere and that of the eartli is priucipally restored by disruptive discharges.