Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-10-02

an expression Of degree. For instance,
copper, ranks high as conductor. and air
very low AS an insula;or; yet an electric
shock will sooner pass through short in
teryal Of air than over a long copper wire
This fact is dependent on law, the due
observance Of which can alone insure the
efficacy ofany projecting apparatus. An.
oiher qualify in conducting body is lis
capacity. which exercises an important in.
fluence over its conducting power. Thus.
an electric charge which would pass safely
over an ordinary copper wire. would burn
up entirely fine wire Of the same metal
The chief things to be sought for in light
ming rods are good conducting material,
good capacity. and to secure good connec
lion with moisture in the earth. In addi-
ton to these, the area of their protecting
influence should be regarded; the number
Of ro Is required for each building; their
posi- ion in special cases, and the mode oi
arranging them.
Metals are the best conductors, the
choice lying between copper and iron.--
Different experimentators make the cva-
ducting power Of copper from Eve to six
and half times that Of iron; so that, hay
ing determined the sectional area Of an eff
cient copper rod, an iron one of six times
that area will possess the same conducting
power. Iron. however, is not effective and
durable, unless entirely coated with silver,
copper, tin, palladium or gold in conse-
quence of liability to rust. As TO the cap
aciy Of rods, the sectional area Of a copper
one should vary from a circle oue-half TO
.hree- f,urths of an inch in dimater, the lar
ger area for very tall conductors, and the
smaller for shor.er ones The form Of the
rod, whether fla or round, Is imma eral
bu sh ,ul ! be as entire aad as rai.h
lis possible, avoiding al abrupt an les and
short turns, and presenting 4 single point
t. The clouds. vi h he apex tipped with
pallaliom--lhe mos. powerful conductor OF
elecilici y known. A bundle or rope OF
copper wire has been found to be very eff
cicn pro'ec Ion against lightning, as has
been fully tested OH s.. PEERS church at
Rome, all other methods having failed
The mos! imporan: considers. ion, SAYS
Prof. Lowering, Is a good connection with
the h, as without this all other precau-
tions will be in vain The conductor mus
penetrate tie earth ill il reach S the sub
soil. where :. is well impregnan e viii wa
ter. In order Ia .eluce the "xi la ion caus-
ell by this MEASURE, AMI flci.i,ae the dis
charge OF the electric iuil i. is advisable
that the red should telmiaae by several
branches in u sunken bed of well burnt
charcoal, wood ashes, or spent tan bark
In affixing the rods to building, they
should be elevated above every other point
Of atrrac ion at least four times the diane
ter Of the area to be protected; this in an
ordinary sized house would be ten OF ff-
Itesn feet above the highest chimney. The
rods Should be affixed to the building By
conda,ting, and not insulating staples; fol-
a flash Of lightning which may have forced
lis way through many yards of air would
find no Difficult in passing such slight OBJ
stacles as glass, or staples covered with
copal varnish, if such Il direction formed
part of the lishtning's path previously
"iel5 OUT" Ii a conductor passes near i
mass Of metel in tolerable connenction with
the earth, the flash, will sometimes divide
itself, one portion following the rod and
the other the side path; and in order tc
avoid an explosion, all suspected vicinal
electrified bodies should be connected with
tie conductor by metallic wires or bands.
Some of the experiments reserved to by
various nations to secure immunity from
the efforts of lightning, are thus related by
Prof Lowering.
According to Herodotus, the Thra-
clans, in times of lightning, were in the
habit of shooting arrows against the sky,
to repel it from the earth. Augustus used
TO re,ire into Il leave during thunder storms,
on ;he Strength Of an opinion then prevail
cni, tha' lightning ncve penetrated nto
/ the g~ouai more than five let deep. The
empe ofs of Japan, i is sti /. possessed :,
rciinrm nj on his mode, Iv bull linz re-
s..,oirs above b. caves, mo which ;hey
re ieJ, anJ kepl ihem constant ly filled with
wa'er, in order. a. they thought. to put
out the fire of Tie lightning. Augustus,
who appears 10 have been terribly alarmed
at this element. used, also, to weai seal
skin cloak during thunder storms. on ac-
count If 5 assumed protec ins efficacy -
The Romans usel 10 build seal skin tents.
mo wiicE ,he imil retired; and the shcp-
herdss"t Ceveunes, even at the present
day. wear hal-bands of serpenl-skin for