320 ELECTRICITY. 



The long spiral track from the summit down ended within a foot of the ground, 

 which latter was neither perforated nor ploughed up. 



[Probably in this case the electricity w^as carried off by a temporary flood of 

 water over the ground at the foot of the tree. — J. H.] 



From Professor B. F. Mudge, Manhattan, Kansas, June 15, 1867. 



At 7 a. m. the lightning struck the house of William Higinbothom, in Man- 

 hattan, Kansas, (two miles from the college,) and severed the lightning-rod at 

 every connection or joint, w-ithout damage to the house. The rod was ^-inch 

 iron. The connections were made by a brass nut screwed on to the ends of each 

 section. The brass nuts were in some cases melted. The point, to the length 

 of half an inch, which was of copper plated with silver, was also melted. When 

 the fluid reached the eaves of the house it parted, and one portion followed the 

 tin gutter-spout round the house, turning eight square corners (right angles.) 

 At each angle the tin was burned or melted. 



[In all cases of an electrical discharge a repulsive energy is evolved in the 

 direction of the axis of the conductor, tending to break it by a transverse frac- 

 ture. — J. H.] 



From the New Haven (Connecticut) Journal. 



On the 20th of June, 1867, the lightning struck the house of Mrs. R, M. 

 Page, on the corner of Pleasant and Humphrey streets. The bolt, as it neared 

 the house, divided, one part striking the roof near the west chimney, and passed 

 through the roof, tearing up the tin roofing in such a wa\' that it looks as if it 

 had been forced off from the inside. The fluid passed into the attic, striking 

 the chimney near the roof, and gouging out a large hole in it, and then passed 

 out of the attic window, making two holes through one of the panes, as if two 

 small cannon-balls had been shot through it. After passing through the wdndow 

 there were no further signs of its course. The attic room was thoroughl}' shat- 

 tered, and the ceiling splintered into a thousand fragments. The other branch 

 of the bolt struck the east chimney, knocking off a good portion of it. It passed 

 down through the roof to the attic floor, and passed out of the room at the 

 southeast corner, and ran down the water-pipe to the ground, shattering the 

 earthen tile drain that conducts the water to the cistern. From here it passed 

 through the corner of the house, following a nail, coming out near a water-pail 

 with copjier hoops, that stood near the sink. It completely demolished the pail, 

 and seemed to have spent its force in doing so. Under the attic room, on this 

 side of the house, was a closet, the lath and plaster of which were torn off. 

 Some of the plastering was thrown across the chamber and struck the head- 

 board of the bed with such force as to stick fast. Under the pillow of the bed 

 was found a nail that was so hot when thrown there that it burned the sheets. 

 A woman who had just closed the basement window and crossed the room when 

 the stroke entered at the sink, was thrown prostrate, and was much stunned and 

 deafened for awhile ; and her husband, who was sitting in the room alone with 

 his child, was also considerably shocked. Persons who were in the street near 

 the house at the time were also stunned, and had to grasp hold of the fence to 

 keep from falling. 



From Dr. Samuel D. Martin, near Chilesburg, Kentucky, October 27, 1867. 



I to-day saw for the first time a tree that had been struck with lightning, 

 prol)ably in July. It was a white ash, about two feet in diameter, and stood in 

 a woodland pasture, about half a mile east from my house. The appearance indi- 

 cated a remarkable power in the discharge. The tree was split up into pieces 



