Lightning Proof Trees.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3033, 19 October 1888, Page 2

Lightning Proof Trees.

b ■ fiesinous trees, such as pines firs, • aud larches, are not' so liable to be a struck by lightniup as others, prob ; i ably owing 'to the non-con'ducting nature of.their resinous matter, and i from the small amount of sapl .which 3 tjiey contain.'. About;, thirty,; year? ; ago, Mr McNab, fellow of the' Botan. , ical Society. of Edinburgh, stated that f neither beech'nor birch trees wore liable to injury by I lightning, but it I has since been ascertained that this , is not a fact, though cases in which these trbeS have been struck (ire undeniably' rare, ilt* was'i; matter of common belief amolig the' Eomans,- . ; that the bay tree;, Was never struck ' by lightning, and Pliny, ;the;Roman • •' historiaiii relates that thfl;:Bmperor ; ' Tjberlus. always 'crownodshimsolf. . with baf leaves •. storm,: This superstition.extended-. ; to mediievial days, as;'the-'following, linos,: which oqour; ift- an'old ' : show:— r' Kcach'thetayß; l '--" : . I'll tie a garland hpre about his head, , 'Twill tap my boy (ram lightning

The Fatal Balloon Accident- • Mr Simmons' Fate. • Details are. to hand of tho fatal, balloon accident-reported by cable —which occurred at Bishop Wiokham's, near Witham, Essex, on the evening of August 27. The balloon ascendod froni the grounds of the Irish Exhibition atOlympia, London, intho jiftemoqn. 'lt, contained Mr Simmons, the' well[lmown • and two "others named :;Myers and Fiold,; who ha'ilgone up in the exbeingable; to' orosVin. it 1 to the Continent; There was a strong South-west Mfind blojnng, .and the trip is described as I most enjoyable.Tho roronaut decided to descend near Ultingj m Essex, as'tho locality was well adapted to the purpose. The grappling irons caught in orietofthree eltoi :trdes, ' and Mir Siipions endeavoured : to, ■ .reach earth 'oiitside them, The balloonicame doWn with a'bump, iwent up agaiti, and struck a tree violently,, The!feilk burst With a loud"roporfc, and tile car- fell. to tho ground with such terrifio foroo as to almost smash it' to | atoms.-; 'Several persons who witnessed tho occurrence !' were quickly on the ispot, followed by •Mr Gutteridge, surgeohVof Maldoii. thre6 ihiles : off.' Simmons', oasef was: at once seen to bo; hopeless, tho base' of his skull boihg fractured. He died-' in a few hours. Mr Fiold had a broken thigh ;;but Mr Moyers oscapod with a severe shaking. The accident happened very near thq residence off Sir Claudo .de Crespigny, who ■ six' years ago broke his' leg in making a balloon ascent, with Mr Simmons. -