GLOBE LIGHTNING IN FRANCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1718, 24 November 1887, Page 2

GLOBE LIGHTNING IN FRANCE.

In a note commuoloated to the Academy by the Minister of Poato and Telegrapht, ■ome extraordinary events are deecrlb«d whioh happened m connection with m thundoratorna In the nalghborhood of Morti (Orne), on April 24. A oo# iraa being milked la a itable when the aalmal auddenly stood on Its hiad legs, j&mtatos Its forefeet between the barn of the raofc) and at the lame logtant the affrighted peasant saw a ball of fire enter the open door, paia between the legs of th.c qow, Mad disappear without oxploilon, and wlthoafc damage. Ia the street outside the gronnd waa at the same time thickly covered with fragments of a aoft, greyjsh-wbite mlaetal BUbatanoe, varyiDg m size from that of • pea to a walnuw No analysis of the aabatance is given. During the same stora a length of 150 aißtrej oi telegraph" wire was destroyed, the wire being broken np Into numerous short fragment*, The discharge entered the telegraph offloe at Mortrea, and paaaad to earth through th« lightning proteotoc with a tremendont detonation, but without doing anydamagd whatever. At tho Mtae time • portion of the discharge seems to have passed through the brick wall of tfca house, perforating iaveral holes And hurling a quantity of plaster to the ovhsr ildd o£ the road.—" Klectrlclan."