Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-08-28

] be killed by lightning. as by the falling of
flower pot from the window Of a house he
may be passing Still the same dread which
at the iaintcst muttering of thunder drove
/ Tiberius from his rcvcls. and forced him.
/ crowned with laurels and clothed with bad
/ ger skins, TO seek refuge in subtorroncous
/ vault cxcrts its sway more or less powerful
/ ly in every breast The late fearful storms
have awakened renewed and melancholy in
torest in electricity, and the question is eager
ly asked. whether a recurrence of the sad
events OF tuc last two weeks may be proven
ted whether any adequate protection against
the ravagocs OF lightning does indeed exist.
Since the apartments Of Franklin inJune
/ 1852. iron or copper conductors have enjoyed
/ at best dubious reputation. Their theory
/ is unimpeachable. practice they have often
been found worse than useless. During the
recent storms, houses TO which the latest pat
tern olrods had been aihxed, woro. in two in-
stances at least struck and seriously damaged.
Instances arc rather wanting to prove the
virtue which science has assigned 90 metallic
conductors
Notwithstanding this. the faith of men of
science in the good qualities of Franklins
invention has not been shaken. The mischief
has been occasioncd by faults of construction
alone
A memorable instance of this IS TO be found
in case OF the church at North Hampton in
this state. The conductor was properly adj
justcd to the steople. but its termination was
ia granite rock, only a short distance below
the surface ofthe earth. The lightning, find
ding no conducting substance at the bottom
of the rod, reasccnded, and passing into the
church caused much damage
Much has been said in favor of insulation,
and brass pointed iron rods with glass insult
ators, have for Che last fow years been zeal
ously h4wkcd about the country Tho prin-
ciple SEQ eagerly commended for amounts to
nothing. An inch or two of glass can offer
no resistance 10 the force of thunderb1it,
except. perhaps. tor ana instant Co impede its
downward course As soon as yapor or rain
have moistoncd it's surface it ceases to be
non-conductor, and insulstes the rod no more
than AN iron spike or clamp, which last is
equally as safe fastening. The electric fluid
will not turn in its passage to the ground tor
so feeble an attractive force.
There are a few conditions indispensable to
every well adjusted conductor. First: IL
must be perfectly connected with the ground.
Unless il penetratcs to a depth of ten or
twelve feet, or to earth constantly moist the
electricity will reasccud and perhaps pass
'0" - oi'"i'" ~" "
unctor. y wen Is the ocst termination Tor
rod. Charcoal thichly strown around the iron
will add much to los conducting and dilusiny
power Many. If not most of the conductors
now in use, pass only two or three feet below
the surface and are, consequently, not only
useless but dangerous. To this cause may be
referred a large portion OF the injuries OF
houses regarded ats perfectly secured.
In the second place. the nccCssitv of a
perfect connection OF all Palts OF the rod is
very obvious they should be screwed, not
mixed together Electricity passes more
ershy over smooth than an Irregular surface
lnHdly ne points are noi merely ornamen-
,ai aPpendages' hey ora" the electricity
rom inc CLOUDS, whilc sun az a distance pre-
and d;Fnso i l., ,',,r,o.,,t.,.a rctl1o,,,;,,.
boco,nos Ll,,,fod tbis 49,. 4, l;r,i.,;l,,I ~.
lost nttbcco,,,l,,,t,r, M, IL,
con,o, ,bo ol,,tr;c. .,,rra,,t -, tlo',.ro,,,6 A.,
on,nsip stc,.,. i. ali of c,oor,a iIf st,l;a,,.
10 cbarsctor;sto ~ liz ,,oIl -, o,t;,,a
s,d inyotor,,t,. nroin[;co FraalI;,, .,l,.,aat,,5
,,o;ntod "a rGo Ri -. -.a.1.i
snberes as bettor 1isnansors 81 olco+ri,;t,'
Wislin,, 70 he saea dnd ,.at l,t;,l. ti,',a'h
l;carisn, Of 7rorl,lin pa l,i',,ted -,
Lod sr,horo.cr,r,,,'f,i ,,,,1,,,,,rs nj +a ~
cbirnoys of III naIoce
Ono MONT viii nrotoct a c;rcle. ,.boso diam
otor - d,,,,1 20 NJ boi,,l,t - ,la r,d -
tbo chimney or roor IN which If IL Gstencd
The nrocticc Of connectin,. an The noints ,,ith
one Ground Terminating conductor i ftally cr-
roreo,,s tboro sho,,l1 1,o M loast o,,,oa,,,,,o
TOR for oyory two ,ro,,iront no;nts Connor
has creator conducting mower than ;ron Inf
II u much ,,,oro o,norsi,o
That rod whom nronerlv adjusted ;s a
nrotoction oroinst G,Ltnir, v,o ID not do,,b,
b,,tit T. o,,.iI,.,rt;,,. ,,l.,,, $500. E.,
Is worse than notbing Kno,glol',e ',nd c,,,,,.
mon sense aro rs nocossor, in uo;r con,tr,e.
tiop as elsewhere Tigbi,ino-rods aa ,ou
as other tb;ngs 'sonot;,nes rco,, ro ova,,ination
and nood ronai, NJ, H,,1osL;.e et,J,s,a.,.,
FHlLoSofif OF KAtN'--I 10 understand
the philosophy OF TINS be' 'tltnl and often
sublime phenomenon so OFT witnessed since
the creation OF the world ana SO essential to
the very existence OF plants ana ANNALS a
lew iaetS' derived rom observation and along
tIan OF experiments, must be remembered
L. Were the atmosphere everywhere, at all