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Lightning, etc...
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From: Robert W. Stephens [SMTP:rwstephens-at-headwaters-dot-com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 1998 7:33 AM
To: Tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Cc: hvlist-at-Anchorage.ab.umd.edu
Subject: Lightning, etc...
All,
This past weekend I was priviledged to be able to attend the
Rochester hamfest. Because of some stupid regulation imposed by my
government I must stay away from the country which I was born in for
48 hours before I can return with up to $200 US worth of new toys.
Since I had to comply with big brother on this technicality, and at
the same time get back home ASAP to take care of my beloved cats who
really don't appreciate it when I leave them in the house alone for
several days, I found myself driving home to Ontario and passing through
Buffalo, NY, at 5:30 AM Sunday morning during the wildest lightning storm
I have ever experienced in my life!
When I was sitting waiting at Canada Customs on the Canadian side of
the Peace bridge, I witnessed a direct lightning
hit on the building-top flagpole just about 200 feet right in front
of me. I happened to be looking right there at the time. It was a long connect,
maybe 100 milliseconds, and when it ceased it dissolved into a string
of beads which then morphed into little traces of yellow-orange flame
like the evaporating plasma from a high power Jacob's ladder which
remained visible for a very brief instant as the wind carried the
cooling remnants of the plasma channel column horizontally to the
right.
Totally AWESOME! : )
Just a side note for those who might be interested, the customs guy
with all his hi-tech computer stuff didn't key anything into his
terminal when I was *processed* by him (they normally do this because
Canada seems to have all the latest hi-tech stuff at the Ontario border
crossings), but simply asked me a few verbal questions and then passed
me through. I can't help but think that their *system* had been shut
down by either the hit I witnessed, or some earlier one. I'm a fan!
Mother Nature One, Canada Customs Nothing! : ) I respect the job
they need to do, but overzealously hassling their own $20K/yr citizens over
what trinkets they bought at a US fleamarket is hardly *protecting Canada from
harm*.
Gee I hope this e-mail is being monitored.
Robert W. Stephens
Director
Lindsay Scientific Co.
RR1 Shelburne, ON Canada L0N-1S5
Tel: 1-519-925-1771 Fax:
*Custom built Tesla coils, etc., for museum display
and special effects work.
*Canada's largest publicly accessible wall-to-wall
indoor lightning show...by appointment.
*Future home of Electric Science World,
educational/entertaining Theatre of Electricity.
*Antique TV Museum...in search and acquire mode now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inquiries welcomed! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~