Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-10-09
FROM THE VIRGINIA. TIMES.
LIGHTNING RODS.

palate the freaks of their electric (ayori,e. and
Its disobeslience 10 the only magical wand
the Lightning rod. The fatal accidents occur
ring IN the presence of the lightning rods are
said to have arisen from the fact that the rods
were made To terminate in dry earth, which
cannot conduc. the lightning off, The eflica
cy oil this contrivance consists in conducting
the electric fluid 10 the earth and there dis.
trrbu'ing II or diifusng it so as to he harmless.
II the surrounding earth is drv this efficacy is
lost. Lightning rods ough, therefore always
To terminate IN moist earth or water las
spring or we'll, or, in cities having extensive
natalie pipes f!Itgss or wo,er, then, in con-
nection with such pipes.
The lightning rod Is regarded as one of the
great trlumphs Of modern science. So il is.
yet the learned have declared that the same
mode OF "appeasing the lightning" was known
IN The remoiest antiquity. But this know
'euge was, like nearly every thing else. of
strange and wonderful character, so MINGLED
with the tables and tricks of a pagan worship
mat 1t was lost, if it ever really existed, and
men did not afterwards easily discover a
scientific truth in the legends which related
the prodig'es OF antiquity. There was, how
ever, temple at Rome, in which Jupiter was
worshipped with the surname of Eicius, be-
cause 1t was believed that there he could be
Drawn down (elicere) from the sky by GER
tam ceremony. nj. Salverte, a writer on the
occult sciences OF the ancients, endeavors 10
connect tins with knowledge of the art of
drawing down Lightning. He infers this from
traditions and medals. One medal, for exam
PIE, represented the temple of Juno, the god
dess OF The air, with its roof armed with point
ed rods. Another bears the legend of Juper
EllcIus, IN which the God appears with the
lightning in his hand, and beneath is man
guiding winged stag. Others referring to
the same subject bear fish covered with
points, placed on globe. 1t is imagined thai,
such hsh or globe was the conductor en-
ployed by Numa (who communicated his sci
enilhc knowledge as revelations of nvmph.
10 draw from The clouds the electric fire. Ac
cordIng to tradition, Numa. at a period
when lightning was causing frequent injury,
instructed by the nymph Egeria, sought a
method of appeasing The lightning. He in
toXicated Git was said,0 certain Etruscan d.
whites, (or their priests,) and learned from
them The secret Of making the laundering Jul
Piler descend upon earth without danger and
Immediately put it in execution Since that
period Jupiter Elcius was adored at Rome
1t Is related by Lvy that Tullius Hos,illus in
searching the memoirs left by Numa, found
among them some instructions relative 10 the
secret sacrifices offered TO Jupiter EIIcius.-
But, devating from the sacred rite, he became
exposed to the anger of Jupiter, was struck by
the lightning aud was burned with his palace
| The fate of rullus is coniectured 10 have been
only that Of Professor Rlchmann. who. in
1903 was killed by lightning willis, incau-
lonsly repeating The experiments of Frank lin.
lhis art, yelled under the name Of rites of
Jupiter Ellcius, is considered by Salverte as
having been used by the various imitators of
thunder. Going back 10 the age of Prone
lhens 1t affords an explanation Of the fable of
Salmoneus. 1t was employed by Zoroas,er
10 kindle the sacred fire and perform some off
the miracles of which a Evolutionary belief
sill exists in the East. 1t may be inferred
That, IN the time of Cresias, the same art was
known IN India; and that the Jews were ac-
qualnled with lis effects may be inferred from
some remarks of Michaels cited by Salverto
tie remarks l. That there is nothing TO in
dictate that the lightning ever struck the tent
pie OF Jerusalem during the lapse of thou
SAND years. 2. That according to The ac-
| count OF Josephus forest of spikes, with gol-
den or gilt points and very sharp, covered The
rooi of this tempie-a remarkable resem-
olence with the temple Of Juno above mem
TONED. 3. That this roof communicated ,citt
me cauerns in the hill Of Me Temple, 6yI
means Of metallic tmbes, placed in connection
with the thick gliding that covered the whole
exterior OF the building. The points of the
spikes there necessarily produced the effect
OF lightning rods. Was this important result
arrived at by chance? Or were the spikes
only placed there, as Josephus supposes, to
keep the birds from alightng and defiling the
'emPie Ills ignorance, perhaps, is only all
additional proof of the facility with which
The higher branches of knowledge must be
lost, when II is thought necessary to veil them
IRON the world under mystical rites, or when
men, instead of forming them into an organ
ized system OF science, seek only an empir-
cal art OF operating wonders Yet il must
be remembered that no authentic record re-
mains OF the existence Of this knowledge at so
remote period, and its existence therefore is
merely conjectured from monuments which
were not thus interpreted by the nations in
which they were found
The late Judge PEAsE, Of the Supreme Court
| OF the State OF Ohio, was noted wac. A youDo
| lawyer was once making his first effort before
him, and had thrown himself on the wings of his
Imagination into the seventh heaven, and was
seemingly preparing for higher ascent, when
the Judge struck his ruler on the desk two or
three times, exclaimiDg to The as,onished orator.
''i'o!d on--hold on, my dear sir Don't 90 any
higher, tor you are already out Of the jursdic-
ton of this Court"
! IMPORTANT TO HoRsgMEN.-The New Yorl,
Sun gives the following instructions in horse
back riding ;-"When horse runs away with
you, have the presence of mind to catch hold of
his name, wind your bride round his neck and