Lightning connected with Glass and Metals. 181 



quence of agitation arising from sound. It might well be cited 

 as a proof of the extreme velocity of the lightning^s flash. The 

 aperture just described corroborates the other observations of a 

 somewhat similar nature reported as having occurred at Padua 

 and at AU^xandria. These observations united will undeceive 

 these individuals who imagine that glass plates are a complete 

 safe-guard against lightning. 



Innumerable examples shew that lightning never strikes 

 individuals, without more particularly attacking any metals 

 they may happen to have about their persons. It may, there- 

 fore, be admitted that such objects sensibly increase the dan- 

 ger of being struck. None Vill deny this conclusion if the 

 question refers to any considerable mass of metal ; as is well 

 illustrated by the following incidents. On the 21st July 1819, 

 lightning fell upon the prison of Biberach (Suabia), and there 

 struck,, in the common apartment, in the midst of twenty priso- 

 ners, ONE condemned captain of brigands, who was chained 

 roimd the waist. The opinion is attended with more difficulty 

 in reference to those trifling metallic articles which often form a 

 part of our common dress. However, the following curious 

 observations made by Saussure and his companions on iheBreven, 

 in the year 1767, might be ranked as a proof on the point. 

 During a thunder-storm, whenever any of the party raised his 

 arm and extended a finger, he felt a pricking sensation at its 

 point. "M. Jalabert," adds the celebrated traveller, *< who 

 had a gold band round his cap, heard, in addition, a|frightful 

 buzzing noise round his head. We drew sparks of light from 

 the golden button of the band^ as also from a metallic ring which 

 surrounded a large stick we carried with us."" Confer the most 

 trifling additional intensity upon the storm, and the small gold 

 band, and its metallic button, in such circumstances as those 

 we are now contemplating on ihe^rcven^ will become the causes 

 of explosion, and M. Jalabert would have been injured by 

 lightning rather than his companions, whose hats were free from 

 golden bands and metallic buttons. 



The following fact, mentioned by Constantini in the year 

 1749, bears directly on the point. During the prevalence of a 

 thunder-storm, a lady raised her arm to shut a window, — the 

 lightning flashed, and her golden bracelet so completely disap- 



