Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-09-09
From the Dollar Newspaper.
LIGHTNING RODS.

How terribly they scratch!
From the Dollar Newspaper.
LIGHTNING RODS.
A correspondent enquiries, in your paper OF last
week, in relation TO lightning and lightning rods.
The subject is exceedingly important, and is but
numerically understood by the community have
devoted great deal of time aud attention 10 the
subject for several wears past aud believe have
made myself familiar with the various phenomena
attending ,he discharge OF lightning, whether from
the clouds downwards, OF nom the earth upwards
into the Clouds as well as with the true ana mar
lible method OF rendering the flash perfectly harm
less. But it would require time and space TO elu-
cidate the question in manner satisfactory TO
your readers and myself. Let me therefore, tor
the present, refer the points mentioned by your
correspondent. Electricity pervades all creation
Almost eyey object, animate or inanimato, IS
charged with it in greater or less uegree' WE
mass the electrical eel, which no one can touch
without receiving shock Even our own BODIES
nre charged with a certain quantity OF electricity,
which, if distracted from us permanently, IS ioi-
lowed by disease of some kind. Hence rheuma-
tsm u attributed 10 loss Of the hea;hiul supply
of electricity in the system, because the constant
wearing of silk body clothing removes the disease,
silk being a non-conductor, by its preventing mo
too rapjd escape Of electricity from the system.
Inasmuch as electricity pervndes all nature, and
that too in state OF equilibrium, or general anu
sion. the disturbance of this equilibrium IS tho
cause of thunder storms, by the peculiar faculty
possessed by clouds in certain state, of attract
ing to themselves more than their proper share OF
the electric fluid. This attraction, when once be-
gun. generally goes on until they become so highly
cbaoqed as to be unable TO retain the quantity they
have collected, when a discharge takes place to-
wards the earth, which ia the grand reservoir oil
electricity. In it's descent to The earh lightning
obeys one law, which science has long since discov-
credit invariably follows the best conductor. Dr.
Flanklin discovered what that best conductor was,
and proved it 10 be metal, either iron or STEEL
THE true method, howeve OF constructing the con-
duc,or. il is believed opportunities for observa-
lion did not enehl. IN fully to establish. That
task has been It fof his successors, and IN our
country, where thunder aud lightning storms are 80
lfeouent and attended with such awful results
from lightning, tits OF the highest Importance that
a close observation should be kept up, to enable US
10 Judge with absolute certainty whether our con-
ductors are TO be depended upon III all cases or not
A great deal OF ignorance exists on tins suoIec
in persons of great intelligence on other points
civ paper, only n week or two ago, IN one OF ~
ci,y ,iems. in describing the effects OF flash o
lbgbtning which struck a house in Southwark, sta
led that the persons who we're in the parlor, into
which the fluid descended, owed their safety to the
circumstance of the parlor door being open, ms The
fash wen, out at the door! Now this is deplorabIe
i,deed. The real cause Of their escape know
moi. because 1 have not examined tho premises,
nor inquired into any Of the facts; Oul the ldea Of
the lightning going out at the door, because IL nap
named 10 be open, is absurd Ia the extrome. An
o,ber newspaper, in very pompous language, laid
down sundry rules to be observed as indispensable
in erscting conductors. One was that the rod must
he cavoed with gilt points. This IS altogether
wrong Points ars necessary, nay lndispehsaoie,
bnt simple iron is better than any gHdlng' our
ror,esnonteut also asks il tho rod should pass tifo'
glass stables. The idea Of glass staples involves
an absufdity which none but those utlery ignorant
OF electricity could suggest. GLASS IS non-eon'
ld,r,or hut water is an excellent one. Glass sta
,la. ,hsrelore 90 long az they remain dry, prevent
,ha a I'D nassipg from the rod into the house; but
az n thunder storms arc accompanied by rain, the
instant The rain vets the glass staples they become
as ner(oct conductors as a gaple ol IRON. Hence
the absnrdity Of all glass staplos Indeed ina idea
of the fluid leaving tie rod, taking 10 the iron sta
pie and thence passing into the mouse, - ialiacIous
in the highest degree. Such thng was never
known to happen from that cause aiohe-'"ht Is,
because Of an iron staple. But 1t may happen and
has hammered 10 my knowledge when the rod has
been detective or broken at the bottom or when II
has received a shock gieatef than its capacity TO
discharge or when the fluid in its descent from the
nopt OF the rod TO the earth, has encountered
better conductor inside the house. In the alier
case, say the presence OF large mass pf metal ~
Ing n ear the rod, portion OF the charge, u II be
very heavy one, will very probably leave TIE roo
add vas- 10 tie better conductor inside.
Lightning rods, as We SEQ them put up al oYef
our country, made Of single piece OF round IRON
arc not 10 he depended upon. Tho result Of my
st,dg. praetice and observation, has beeh ms;
have constructed a rod entirely different from all
others ever used, and embodying in itself all the
pfinciol.s which constitute the science OF eleein-
,v. 1 have had one Of them made, intending 70
attach il 10 10y own dwelling. When up, shsi
Eel Derfec,y calls aud fearless in the most tonhc
thunder storm, aud nay minh will not be disturbed
81 those natural fears which alarm aud distress the
females Of my family at the approach Of a gust
THIS feeling Of entire security, which my hniiy
will. experience, will be unspeaksbie sa;isiactioh'
That his feeling is entirely correct can demon-
s,rate 20 The satisfaction Of every one, and render
me whole subject, cause, effect, aud remedy, 90
clear that a mere child can comprehend u. nave
ohe, thought that somo intelligent, active man
rn;rht make fair business by putting up 1908 s1eh
as miae, a. the public mind Is nov awake 70 ihe
subject. To really enisgpris.ng man, say me-
cha aic, ussd 70 sailing roofs aad LADDERS "0''