THE WEATHER. 231 



house stood a few moments at the closet with her head 

 exactly under the extremity of the saw ; though the gar- 

 ret floor was between them. This was in the second 

 story ; on the lower story, there was nearly under the 

 place where the woman was standing, some metallic sub- 

 stances, particularly a large pair of tongs, which stood 

 up by the fire-place. There was thus, it will be observed, 

 a continued chain of conducting substances, extending 

 from the top of the house to the ground, and the light- 

 ning pursued precisely the track prepared for it. It de- 

 scended by the chimney, ran down the roof, tearing up 

 the shingles, until it came over the saw; it. passed down 

 the saw easily, and without injury, as the steel was a good 

 conductor. It then perforated the floor, making several 

 small holes, like those produced by a gimlet. It passed 

 through the body of the woman whom it instantly de- 

 prived of life, and thence found its way through the me- 

 tallic substances in the kitchen to the ground. Another 

 lady sitting at the window of the room, in which the 

 woman was killed was not injured in the slightest degree.' 

 Such is the account of this very clear and striking in- 

 stance of the unerring certainty, with which the light- 

 ning selects its path through the best conductors, which 

 it finds in its way. A saw lying horizontally, would 

 have had very little influence, unless it should even in 

 that position, form part of a connected series of conduc- 

 tors to the earth. The reason why one person was safe 

 in the immediate vicinity of such danger was, that she 

 was out of the series of conductors. 



We have from these and other similar cases, a very 

 simple direction, which will enable us to avoid danger, 

 so far as it is possible to avoid it, and that is, take such a po- 

 sition that the body shall not be one of a series of substances 

 likely to conduct the. fluid. More particular rules cannot 

 be given, for the circumstances vary so much, that they 

 would be of very limited application ; each individual 

 keeping the general principle in view, must judge. The 

 middle of a room, or lying horizontally upon a bed, are 

 for obvious reasons, the safe position. 



It may here be observed that the flash and report, or 

 which is the same thing, the lightning and thunder are 



