The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-08-20
Wo6uTH, January IS, 1877.
SIR.

u =
THE partial eFe6s Of the electrical rods.
which have been areaed for The protection #
buildings, sc. have IeI me 10 think, that they re
not upon (he hef cona.ucion, Especially taolc
that terminate il one poiot.
The PhiloloPhy Of electricity fems 10 be en-
veloPeI in much obfcurity Electtics and non
ele6rics exf in nature-poh i've and negative,
Progrefs and dired, on are properties with
out their evidence, yet want explanation
From the experiments & oDfervatons which
have made | am inc in to think, that I'D n
The lud en aGemb age fth- clouds n the ti1e
OF a thun Ter form the eIe9ical fluid is excl
ted and dupoi-d unequaily, in Rra,a, at differ
ent altitude, which ale contirua IN varying
their iituston, according a. The exp] hon Of
the lightning ihif The po CT Of att acton; and
It is hioly probable tht here are al tLof:
times, itrata OF nol-coadultQg atmosphere n
terve-inE between cher Rra iiGet ontly at
te6l-d : Nov If this he ally the cafe, and the
heigh; Of the points IF III roJ 90 lot happen
70 1olre(. ord win he level Of the frat m af
fe6t-d, 2 lie Ut tic rod viii il gt5a, mlA
1ure Re lot.
slvell kn>wu fa6t, that the electrical ALL
critters ard clcapes by points and angles more
ie+aily II y ~ fPhcrjca terminatons.
From N 4 circumstances l link i mul ap-
pear th.t a1 electric ! roI, , pared ike tie
u. L WI ch accompanies tbs paper, would
be better al ped u equ4lize h Alii, than the
com ncn lin rical rod III ufe for the irfn ty
Of tn poins, or rather lie conliau ton If
them, r m th1 bottom 10 tie top If the rod,
TX de> FIR the entrance or clc1pe Of the ll 4
Of any ,t'atnm however af 9ed, at any level,
IT Or hel " the fmmit point, which | think
nut ne con id-red an additional a lvIntage
at any rate, FL, b a rod viii lwer IS well as
the other kind.
4 gentlemen would make this 1ddii-n when
they EJECT any new rod, the ea, Ct " u'd r,o1 Be
known, and i IS my opinion that a rod mi hit
te lcni ulated, in The m inner ropcled, III Iy.s
spence than tquare bars coud be reduced mo
a cylindrical folm.
"A ROD upon th.fe principles, may BE prepar
ed in the following manner T4ke number
Of iqu4re bars Of lion, as ttcy come to our
market Of am7f All inch 4 thickness, AMI con
meet them together by a fear ca or haiveJ int
At the ends curing rhem with lcrews. Wien
a 1uiiiCient number Of bars are Jhus connected,
to make the height intended, (wh Oh fh0u al
ways be rs high AZ the rod can policy BE fl.-
taIned) then t2k1 them alunIcr at tie j1nt5
and place each Jingle bar, IN fuccslion On a
bIacklm'ths vie, With The Jaws about halt an
inch Prt, one angle If die bar 70 ref b.twe-n
without bruiGng, VIII II The workman proceeds
with % q chifl We prepared to raf4 rarb
1T the dttarce y every i.ch Or half zach and
when that corner is done, bring up another au-
gle in tn fame petition, and % proceed Until
the whole il hn1hed.
Rods upon this contribution may terminate
with three Po MS bnt lhould prefer a f5ht
Rar Or glory at he TOP u the rod, ana tile low
er end funk precy deep in the earth, perhaps
to level with The ipings Of winter, ana the
hole filled Up With charcoal about the rod
Perhaps in fome particular tates cf the al
moi, here, fuch a rod might alit in reRorlng
tie equilibrium of tile flu among the Rrat4
differently affected, BY its earcr ng at one place
in the rod and eicaPing at another, whit The
earth remained neutral.
IF you fhoad think that any thing car &c
collected from thefe hints 70 improve the Fec
rcal Rod, | an wiling they lhoulj w com
municated 10 tie American Academy Of Arts
ana Scicnci5s tor their confederation.
Y az, 7yit5 mac5 T5L3.E, Sir,
TAR 1.f ojsdierf ka'e5e fyv,rt.
LOAMMI BALDWIN.
Fev Tosrp- V1t-sa1. ~. wee PreGa7n. of tLe A-
mer,can Ac~acoy II a's. -i4 Sciences.