Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-06-24
Insurance against Lightning.
TO OWNERS OF PROPERTY.

man should think for himself, and not submit 10
be deceived by imitators and imposlors. II
il is necessary to have a Lightalng-kod at
tachcd 10 building, in order TO project IL
from the destructive influences OF lightning, II Is
/ important 10 have one constructed on scientliic
| princples, and adapted to the purpose which 1t
is intended 10 serve. A poor rod causes mis-
chief, by falling 10 protect the building which 1t
is designed to shelter; and creates uncertainty
and doubt in the minds Of the public in regaid
10 the utility and safety Of those which are really
valuable and safe. As good rod costs no more
than poor one, it certainly becomes purchasers
to examine what they are going TO buy, and not
cxpend money on worthless article and thus
expose their property to destruction for wan. OF
proper protection. | have put up near six thou
sand rods, and have shipped great number 10
various parts of the world, especially TO the
Southern States, and have never heard of the
loss OF single life, or the destruction OF dol
lars worth of property, by lightning, in any
building 10 which one Of my rods has been at
| tached Can as much be said in favor Of any
other rod in use!
have received information of some sixty or
eighty instances in which rods that have pu,
up have been been struck by lightning. IN all OF
which il has been carried safely 10 the earth,
without the slightest injury 10 person or property
There is but one true principle on which a rcd
can be made TO answer the purpose for which II
, is erected. The laws which govern electricity
do not change, aud il We study nature 10 this
respect, as We 10 in Cihcrs, We shall be able TO
comprehend them. There are many erroneous
| opinions entertained about lightning, and The
construction and erection of rods: for instance,
many suppose that the highest o!j jccis necessarily
receive stroke first. Let US look at this matter
I a moment: According 10 the laws OF nature,
( lhuudeibolt $50 VIC call iD proceeds. under ceI-
tain conditions, as naturally TO the earth as rain
! does Unless, therefore, il comes within the IN
hueuce OF some body which attracts it, ii pro-
cocJs in straisii course 10 the earth. he OBJ
icct tha, lies in its path becomes It's conductor,
whe,her it he a tee, a dwelling, or anything
else. high or low. 1t will be seen, therefore,
ha, rod whose only merit is its capabiliIy OF
conducting the lightning to the ground, after it
has received it, is of but ll,lc value; inasmuch
as any other part Of the building is just as likely
to lie in lis path, and receive the stroke. as the
rod. A house, TO he projected by such rods,
must needs be surrounded by them; and herein
consists one Of the principal merits of my Elec-
tro-Masnct Rods, VIZ: that they possess an ab.
soute attraction for the lightning, thus actually
inviting and drawing il from Ike cloud when in
dangerous proximity to the building, and carry
ing it safely to the ground, thereby creating an
equilibrium between the cloud aud the surround
ing atmosphere, and hus preventing stroke.
Another opinion which is held by many, and
which is very erroneous is that rods require in
| suiatiop. This object would he very desirable,
if it could be attained but this is impossible.
As glass is q pon-conductcr only when dry, and
becomes, BY being wet, good conductor, the
space between the glass and The rod becomes dn
ring shower, filled up by impcdlmens. thus af-
fording free passage to the electric uia, which
naturally abandons the smaller for the larger
body if the latter is as good conductor II
therefore flies from the rod 10 the glass, consul
ming the moisture (Which conducted it) as il
passes; and as the stay nail or staple which passes
round the glass is necessarily larger than the
glass or rod and therefore presents greater sur
face Git being well understood that lightning tra-
verses the surface of its conduc;Ors), it passes
from the glass to the staple, and by this is con-
Quoted into whatever it is attached 10. The re-
sui, is the destruction of the property. All this
is no secret. 1t takes place every summer es-
pecslIy in the country, simply because more rods
put up th. Plsn there than in the cities.
Another point on which great stress is laid, is
the use of screw joints on the different sections
of the rod. My objection to this plan is, that
the joints are very apt TO rust in fact, but little
time is required to break the connection at every
Joint, the surface of which becomes coated with
a dry hard crust which destroys TIE metallic
connection. This is great disadvantage 10 the
rod for the fluid is liable to be thrown from i; at
at each joint thus exposing the building 10 the
full severity of the stroke.
This difficulty is obviated by using tun-cyes
instead Of screw-joints. by means of these, we
obtain, without reducing the size of the rod, an
extension Of its surface. | arrange a spring be-
low the ground in such a manner as to keep the
different sections Of the rod always in connection
with each other. The advantage of this spring
is that it Contracts and expands, according to the
expansion and contraction of The rod thus sccu-
ring, at all times, the same degree Of pressure oil
each section of the rod. A square rod should
always be used in preference to a round one.
The difference in price is very trifing, and the
advantage very great. a lightnng-rod, espcci-
ally its top section, should be made much heavier
than many that are put up. Another very great
defect in most rods is, that they are not placed
sufficiently deep in the ground 10 reach the
moisture in time of drought. This is a mat
ter which should bc regulated according 10 the
character of the soil from six to ten feet is usu
ally the proper depth. Inatten,on 10 this matter
often been productive of serious consequences.
The manner of driving a stay y-nail or staple
when used TO attach rod 10 building, requires
! judgment. It should always be driven up
" ards, SO as TO allow the water TO drop from
the outer end, instead of following the course OF
the staple into the material into which it is driv.
! en-. The s,ay-nail should always be in metallic
connection with the rod nj the time of the stroke;
as the fluid descends the rod, the staple is Us
much charged, in proportion TO the SIZE, as the
rod but the fluid will not leave stronger for a
weaker conductor, more especially when the sta
pie is driven into hard dry wall, which pos
scsscs no attraction. and the rod is in connection
with damp earth, which acts, in this respect, like
a suction-pump. A rod such as have descriHed,
with proper point and cluster, will and must
project building from lightning.
And now the question occurs, what is a props
er point! Many rods that have seen, which
have been put up during the past summer, have
points of copper, zine, lead, cast iron polished,
&c, which, il is needless for me 20 say, arc u,>
teIly worthless.
But there are some persons. who, in imitation
OF my patent, profess to put up magnetic pon,
or points; these are nothing tu, the ordinary
magnets, which can be made ou, of a tenpepny
nail. They possess 10 power, or attraction for
electricity whatever neither can they bear the
| slightest stroke Of lightning.
A proper electric point for a lightning.rod can
be formed only in one way. and that is by chem.
Z rpatI, 1.