Curiosities of Science, Past and Present: A Book for Old and YoungTimbs, John
Science
Curiosities of Science, Past and Present: A Book for Old and Young
Timbs, John
Science
M. Raspail relates that, in 1855, a boy having climbed a tree for
the purpose of robbing a bird’s nest, the tree was struck, and
the boy thrown upon the ground; on his breast the image of the
tree, with the bird and nest on one of its branches, appeared very
plainly.
M. Olioli, a learned Italian, brought before the Scientific
Congress at Naples the following four instances: 1. In September
1825, the foremast of a brigantine in the Bay of St. Arniro
was struck by lightning, when a sailor sitting under the mast
was struck dead, and on his back was found an impression of a
horse-shoe, similar even in size to that fixed on the mast-head. 2.
A sailor, standing in a similar position, was struck by lightning,
and had on his left breast the impression of the number 4 4, with a
dot between the two figures, just as they appeared at the extremity
of one of the masts. 3. On the 9th October 1836, a young man was
found struck by lightning; he had on a girdle, with some gold
coins in it, which were imprinted on his skin in the order they
were placed in the girdle,--a series of circles, with one point of
contact, being plainly visible. 4. In 1847, Mme. Morosa, an Italian
lady of Lugano, was sitting near a window during a thunderstorm,
and perceived the commotion, but felt no injury; but a flower which
happened to be in the path of the electric current was perfectly
reproduced on one of her legs, and there remained permanently.
M. Poey himself witnessed the following instance in Cuba. On July
24th, 1852, a poplar-tree in a coffee-plantation was struck by
lightning, and on one of the large dry leaves was found an exact
representation of some pine-trees that lay 367 yards distant.
M. Poey considers these lightning impressions to have been produced
in the same manner as the electric images obtained by Moser, Riess,
Karster, Grove, Fox Talbot, and others, either by statical or dynamical
electricity of different intensities. The fact that impressions are
made through the garments is easily accounted for by their rough
texture not preventing the lightning passing through them with the
impression. To corroborate this view, M. Poey mentions an instance of
lightning passing down a chimney into a trunk, in which was found an
inch depth of soot, which must have passed through the wood itself.
PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEYING.
During the summer of 1854, in the Baltic, the British steamers employed
in examining the enemy’s coasts and fortifications took photographic
views for reference and minute examination. With the steamer moving
at the rate of fifteen knots an hour, the most perfect definitions of
coasts and batteries were obtained. Outlines of the coasts, correct in
height and distance, have been faithfully transcribed; and all details
of the fortresses passed under this photographic review are accurately
recorded.
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