Abstract
MR. W. H. F. TREDRE, honorary technical secretary of the Educational Section of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers, Kelvin House, 100 Fox Street, Johannesburg, has favoured us with some interesting particulars relating to the organisation which has been established for the study of lightning in South Africa. The movement was initiated by Mr. T. P. Pask in a paper read before the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers in April 1930; as a result a committee was formed under the chairmanship of Mr. Pask. The present organisation consists of a main committee and three subsidiary committees dealing with each of the subjects research, statistics and education. With regard to the research, the chairman is Dr. B. F. J. Schonland, of Capetown—the scope of the work it is proposed to undertake includes the collection of photographs of lightning strokes and their effects taken by means of revolving lenses of the type suggested by Prof. Boys, of klydonograms and cathode ray oscillograms of lightning waves, point discharge work, etc. The activities of the statistical section may be illustrated by the fact that there are 3,500 observers throughout the Union who are collaborating by making notes on the history of storms. These observers are working under the supervision of Mr. G. W. Cox, acting chief meteorologist of the Union. The educational section will disseminate information on protective measures through the medium of the Press, schools, pamphlets, etc. During the 1933 session it has been arranged for certain of the investigators to read papers on the subjects of their work before the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers. It is anticipated that interesting results will be obtained at the end of the present lightning season.
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Lightning Investigation. Nature 131, 19 (1933). https://doi.org/10.1038/131019d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/131019d0