308 
strument, of modus, in the hands of pro- 
vidence, not merely of recalling bis crea- 
tures to the necessary sense of their 
weakness and his power, but also of avert- 
ing some stilt more extensive, more af- 
flictive, more dreadful, calamity. 
Your's, &c. A, Crocker. 
POSTSCRIPT. 
Hints ‘of some cautionary Means, by which the 
Dangers of Lightning, to animal life and safe- 
ty, may be avoided. 
In storms of this kind we are frequently, 
from inadvertence, exposed to imminent dan- 
ger, when a timely, andin general a very 
practicable, mere change of station would se- 
cure us against it. 
It has been long known that the cause of 
thunder, is the same with that which pro- 
duces the ordinary phenomena of electricity ; 
thuncer being no other than a grand species 
of electricity, or, rather, that electricity in 
the hands of man is a feeble imitation of 
thunder from the handofthe Almighty. A 
thunder-cloud may be considered as a large 
conductor, actually insulated and surcharged 
with electric matter; which, should it meet 
with another cloud not electrified, or less so 
than itself, wiil discharge part of its subtile 
fluid into the latter, by flashes of lightning 
and formidable reports of thunder; until an 
equilibrium of quantity be restored. 
Whether this principle, the electric fluid, 
actually emanates from the sun, and com- 
mixes with our atmosphere, as some philoso- 
phers conceive; or whether it is a principle 
inherent in the earth and its appendages, per 
se, isa question not necessary to be here dis- 
cussed: certain it is, that we find it abun- 
dantly diffused through the atmosphere, and 
on the surface of the earth, and on various 
bodies attached to the earth: we know also 
that some kinds of bodies will convey this 
fluid with greater facility than others will, 
Such bodies as most readily convey it from 
object to object, are called conductors: the 
most common of which are all metals, in the 
following order of perfection; gold, silver, 
platina, brass, iron, tin, and lead; metallic 
ores, the fluids of animal bodies, water, ice, 
snow, green wood, and most earthy substan- 
ces. "There are other bodies which will not, 
without dithcuity, conduct it; and which, on 
that account, are called non-conductors: such 
are glass, sulphur, -resin, silk, cotton, fea- 
thers, wool, hair, paper, ashes, and most hard 
stones, 
From hence it may be inferred that, in 
dangerous thunder weather, we should care- 
fully avoid standing or sitting in contact with 
any of the conductors. 
By dangerous thunder weather, I mean 
such storms”as are over our heads or near to 
ws. ‘The distances of which may be nearly 
ascertained, by the known progress of sound 
- 
1 
Means of avoiding the Dangers of Lightning. [Nov. 1, 
through the air, which is at the rate of about 
381 yards in a second of time ; so that if there 
are nine beats of a clock, or ten of the pulse 
of a person in health, between a flash of 
lightning and the report of thunder, the dis- 
tance is then about two miles, and ‘no danger 
is at hand: but if no more than about four 
beats of aclock, or five pulsations, are be- 
tween them, danger may be apprehended, 
and precaution should be taken. 
In the open air, standing under tall trees, 
especially such as have dead or dry branches, 
or against very lofty buildings, is dangerous. 
As lightning runs swiftly along, or plays 
amongst mevailic bodies, let care be taken to 
avoid all such, whether out of doors or with- 
in. 
All doers and windows of apartments 
should be set open, that lightning may have 
free passage through. 
A sitting or recumbent posture on chairs, 
mattresses, couches, or beds, filled with hair, 
wool, or feathers, in such part of a room as 
may be out of the influence of conductors, or 
may not bein the way of any current be- 
tween windows and doors, is, undoubtedly, 
the safest situation that can be chosen. 
The furniture of the fire-place should be 
caretully avoided. 
So, also, should the wires and cords of bells. 
Picture-frames, and other furnicure gilt, 
are unsafe to stand close by. A most re- 
markable effect of lightning, in gilded rooms, 
happened in the hotel occupied by Lord Til- 
ney, at Naples, in the year 1793.- The 
apartments were decorated with great ele- 
gance, as was the taste of persons of rank in” 
that country : the cornices of the rooms were 
gilt, in the Italian manner, from whence 
proceeded a number of plat-bands, serving as 
frames to the tapestry, gilt likewise ; so also 
were the borders of the pannels of the wains- 
cot, the frames of pictures, mirrors, and door- 
posts. 
On the 24th of March, Lord Tilney hada 
Numerous party at dinner. A loud clap of 
thunder alarmed the company, and in an in- 
stant the whole apartment seemed to be on 
fire. Every one thought himself struck by 
the lightning ; but, to their great joy, no 
one was wounded ; for the prodigious quan- 
tity of metal conductors enabied the light- 
ning to pass, without injuring any one, 
On examination, it was fouud that great 
part of the cornices were damaged, particu- 
larly at the corners, and where bell-wires 
passed through; picture frames, much in- 
jured ; and some of the bell. cords burnt. 
By these facts, we have clear testimony 
that the electric fluid most readily attaches 
itself to metallic conductors; which in this 
instance, were the means of saving the com- 
pany from destruction: had any of them, at 
the time, been in contact with these gaudy 
trappings, it is probable that their lives would 
have been the sacrifice, A.C. 
To 
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