LIGHTNING. 25 



A. The lightning first struck the 

 metal vane, and ran down the rod; it 

 then darted to the iron cramps, employed 

 to support the building; and (as it flew 

 from bar to bar) smashed the stones of 

 the church, which lay between. 



Q. Why did the lightning fly about from 

 place to place, and not pass down in a straight 

 course ? 



A. Because it always takes in its 

 course the best conductors ; and will fly 

 both right and left, in order to reach them. 



Q. Why does LIGHTNING turn MILK SOUR ? 



A. Lightning causes the gases of the 

 air (through which it passes) to combine, 

 and thus produces a poison, called nitric 

 acid; some small portion of which, mixing 

 with the milk, turns it sour.* 



(N. B. Sometimes, the mere heat of the air, during the 

 storm, turns milk sour.) 



Q. What is the difference betiveen COMBINING 

 I and MIXING ? 



A. When different ingredients mingle 



* The air is composed of two gases, called oxygen and 

 hydrogen, mixed together, but not combined. If oxygen is 

 combined with- nitrogen, it produces five deadly poisons, 

 viz. nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, hyponitrous acid, nitrous 

 acid, and nitric acid, according to the proportion of each gas 

 in the combination. D 



