THE ARTILLERY OF HEAVEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2268, 19 August 1897, Page 53

THE ARTILLERY OF HEAVEN.

By a Banker.

Of all the phenomena of nature a violent thunderstorm » amongst the most startling and iemfying. It is then that man realises his I utter helplessness in the presenoe of forces so appalling and terrible ; and this fear is also shared, more or less, by all animated nature, for at the epproach of a storm the birds cease their song -wad seek covert, c'en tbe eag\e hasting to the eyrie in the cleft of a rook ; tue aattle gather lowing to a place of shelter, tho hows tretnb!e3 with fear, and even fishes and iasects display perturbation. Tae seal, however, appears 'to be an exception, for when the storm is at it 3 height that amphibious animal is said to coma "forth from his triding-pJace as if "to eDJoy the commotion of 'the 'elements. There are -many diversified varieties of lightning, -amongst the most dangerous being tbat rare phenomenon, the return- stroke, or "flash from thp. electrical surcharged earth to the cloud?. Bit the mo it startling exhibition of electrical disturbance is that seldom observed form known as globular lightning. The writar witnessed s most extraordinary display of this in tha autumn of 1849, which appoared to be different to any of which he bad seen descriptions. It was at the time of a violent and ssvere 'epidemic of cholera io. London, which carried off many thousand people, ami he was taken to Dover as a young boy to -escape contagion. All tho usual phenomena which 'precede a severs storm doubtless occurred — the atmosphere dull and heavy, dißtant thunder tumbling apparently in angry .mood, now cracking as from a series of explosions, now rolling in regular cadescs, and ever approaching neirer and nearer. Soon violent flaohes of forked lightning illumine the RUgry thunder clouds, followed by crashing peals of daafeniDg power, which seem to shake the very earth and to threaten the destructioa of everything -within its range. These ureirepsated in almost iftstantsfl^us succession, now rattling like & discharge of rifles from a great army, now •resembling the concussion produced by the simultaneous firing of the huge caunon -of a whole -fleet, .at length culminating in a continuous detonating maddened roar, Accompanied by .fiery, Hashing, unintermitted outbursts of blinding rorks of flams, which Bbrik« hither .and thither, flashes crossing each other and commingling in wild dinorder, as if the very elements were engaged in some dreadful war. And now the character oi' the storm cbangeH ; the deluge moderates ; the forked lightning gradually b- comes more intermittent, and now assumes the ierni of balls (if fire abrut the wze of cannon .bulls, which zush about on.the ground in various directions, Home rolling along at a somewhat moderate pace, while other* appear to career about at perhaps the rate of an arrow <hot from a bow, the entire road baing traversed throughout by countless numbers of these fiery missiles, still jaiore terrifying the scared and alarmed spectators, tue whole scens sufficing to appal and fi'l with terror even the most dauntless. The •writer was too young (and a.so too terrified) to observe what took place whea these firebulls struck against any obstruction, neither can he recollect what damage was caused ; probably, however, tke balls were a form of d'ffaged electricity ensuing from the surcharged .statn sof the earth And lower ai.mosphere, and would therefore be harmless. He remembers, however, that he was staying in the house of a member of the Jewish oomtaunifcy, and that the whole family opened the windows and fell .upon their knees, momentarily expecting the Advent j of the Messiah, "who, in their ignorance, they ■believed had not yet come to redeem 'His people. "But a *tbrm of this unparalleled severity in- [ variably 'fillß with terror those <whn know that I fhey axe not ready to face the great fnttnre. It is related tbat a storm which must have bsen ' almost as uevere as that here described took solace during the sitting of a court of justice, nearly the -whole of the b*r and of the public falling on their knees, and in their terrified dis- ! may crying oat lor pardon to the Deity. Amongst those who difi -not do so was the judge himself, wlro, being a Christian man, had no ieav, whatever was to happen, and ; adSressing the aifrigtrted wss9mblage in calm I tones, urgentfy counselled them to 'bs ever prepared to meet their God face "to face, by availing themselves of the offer >of forgiveness I through the medhttioa of Cferist, with the proS mise of coutinusd help in the resistance of sin. And, doubtless, advice given under <auch cirI camstances bore good fruit, aud sank deep into i the hearts of .his hearers.