Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1894 — A Scared Son of the Desert. [ARTICLE]

A Scared Son of the Desert.

That the Arabs of Egypt are not quite up with the advancement of electrical science is seen by an amusing experience of Werner Van Siemens while traveling in that country. He, with several companions, climbed the great pyramid and there attempted some experiments on atmospheric electricity. His work had not progressed far before the Arabs arrived at the conclusion that he was practicing sorcery, and became uneasy. Finally they insisted that the savants should leave the pyramid. As their entreaties and threats produced no effect, they proceeded to resort to force. “I placed myself then at the highest point of the pyramid,” said Von Siemen, ‘‘and charged my strongest Leyden jar at the moment when a chief of the band was about to seize my hand to try and pull me from the place that I had chosen. At this critical moment I brought the rod of my condenser within a centimeter of his nose. The effect of the discharge was greater than anything that I could have expected of it. The son of the desert, whose nerves had never been put to such an ordeal, fell backwards as though he had been struck by lightning; but uttering a yell he sprang up and, in an instant, vanished from our vicinity followed by all his companions.” [Detroit Free Press.