Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-09-18

Nth rood both within and without, aud
must have been set fire TO IL il had been
struck. Michaells rightly infsrs that, in
the course Of ten centuries, IN the midst
sof thunder storms. and ages before the
invention OF paratonnerres, this building
,oas nerer struck By lightning. The cause
Il is easily explained. By circumstance
apparently fof,uitous, the temple was
provided with para;onnerres similar in
principle TO those Of Franklin The
roof oil the building was formed of cedar
covered with thick gliding, and from end
10 end was adorned by row Of long lances
of iron or steel, pointed and gilt. Accor-
ding to Josephus, the architect intended
these numerous points 10 prevent birds
from dehing the roof. The several
fronts Of the building were constructed
4 throughout their whole extent of wood
thcksy gilt. Finally, under the porch
were cisterns, into which the waters OF
the roof were discharged through metal
lie pipes provided for that purpose. 1t
appears, therefore that tbs roof was pro.
Iected by vast number ofponted metal.
lie rods communicating with superabun.
dance of metallic conductors, which we're
continued TO cisterns OF water below, so
that the most carefully constructed para.
tonneres ofthe present day could not con-
fer greater security.
The church Of the chateau Of Count
/ OrsIni, in Carinthia, standing on en- emf.
hence, was so often struck by lightning,
and so MANY fatalities occurred 10 conse.
Iquence, that, at length, the celebration OF
divine service was discontinued there in
summer. In the course Of the yeer 1870
the steeple was entirely destroyed by
lightning. After it was reconstructed, il
continued to be struck four or five times
a year. In IT'S IT was entirely demol-
ished, and being Immediately rebuilt it
was now supplied with paratonnerre.
From that time the building was free from
damage by lightning. In five years it
was struck bat once, and then the fluid
was conducted 10 the earth by the para
tonrerre, without injury to the church.
Ia 1850 and 1868 the Dutch Church at
New York was struck by Lightning, and
sustained great injury. 1t was alter that
provided with paratonnerre, and, being
again struck in 1865, sustained no injury.
The church of ST. Michehl, at Charles
ton, used TO be struck and damaged once
at least in two or three years. 1t was
provided with paratonnerre, after which
it sustained no damage.
Before the time OF Beccaria, the palace
of Vaentio, at Turin, was constantly
struck by lightning and damaged. Bee.
caria erected paratonnerres upon it, and
the damage ceased.
The tower Of ST. Mark, at Venice, was,
until the year l776, constantly struck
by lightning, and sustained occasionally
great damage. In that year q paraton-
nerre was placed upon Il, and no damage
has occurred since.
! Mr.. Snow Harris states that, Of six
steeples in Devonshire, all have been
within shor. period struck by lightning.
One only sustained no damage, and that
one alone was provided with paraton-
nerre.
The present lecture would be incom-
plete, we're we TO close 1t without adver-
ting to the phenomena termed ''the lateral
discharge" Il bears intimately on the prac-
teal part of the subject, and will enable
US a, the same time to present certain H.
lustraiions of the action Of electricity
which have not been Included elsewhere.
When portion of the discharge from a
prime conductor, for instance, or a Ley
den jar. leaves the course marked out for
it to pursue sde-path, the spark conse.
quent on such deviation is termed the lat
eral spark produced by the division ofIhe
discharge. 1t may be shown in the fol-
lowing manner: Let powerful electri-
cal machiue be in action, ard sparks be
thrown on wire held by an insulated
rod, but having lis extremity connected
with the earth; on applying the knuckle, or
brass ball, to any part Of the wire, sparks
may be obtained not that the wire is in.
capable of carrying away the whole
charge safely, but because of the repul.
sive ec.ion Of the electricity, by which il
has the tendency to spread over the sur
face Of conductors, and take the widest
path it can. The tendency is even de-
veloped wher the side path ou'y lasts for
part Of the course to the earth, and the
electricity has TO return again TO its orig-
nal wire, for if the insulated discharging-
rod have one ball placed very close TO one
part of the wire, and the other ball very
close TO another part, spark will appear
at each ball. In this case, it is evident
that the metal of the discharg ing-rod was
of no ultimate service in furnishing a side.
path as a thoroughfare TO the charge, but
merely relieved the portion Of the wire
intervening between the balls. The same
effects occur during the discharge OF a
| Leyden battery, especially when it is in.
sulateG. But not only IS it possible to OBJ
tain spark from the wire itself, but even
from any metallic system with which the
wire is connected. We have ourselves
obtainedit from gas.5urnsrS in all parts
Of very large building, where the wire
was connected with the gas-pipes in one
part.
PROM TIE BALTIMORE AMERICAN.