American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-09-09
THUNDER STORMS.

thunderstorms, Jupiter Thomas will reign
until the fall, and then become Jupiter
Pulvious exclusively. The following OBJ.
servation Of thunder storms. by gentle
man competentto to write on the subject. are
timely and valuable His remarks upon
the insulation Of lightning rods will, he
new TO most unscien,i6c readers, 1t will
be seen that to iDsulste the rod is to rem
der it nearly worthless; yet, ss commonly
constructed, is the disideratum
The immediate cause OF thunder storm
or rather Of an atmospheric discharge OF
lectricity, is the existence Of opposite cleo
trical conditions in contiguous clouds. or
fn the clous and the surface Of tn eearth be
meath them ~
The primary cause is Ihe combination
Of circumstances whereby the electrical
equilibrium was originally destroyed
Electricity is involved in tie course OF
almost all the Operations ofnature, partic-
ularly in the evaporation Of water and con.
densation OF vapor. When these processes
take place slowly, the electrical di sturbauee
is so slight that the equilibrium appears to
be gradually restored as fast as it is distur-
bed without any manifest electrical effects
When, however, evaporation is rapid or
condensation sudden. the quantity Of the
electrical fluid enveloped is corespondingy
enhanced. aud the restoration Of the equil-
ibirum is then accomplished by the explo-
sion, or di charge of electricity in an
intense state, from the body or mass Of
containing the ove-plus to the body which
is deficient. This is what is properly cal
led fash Of lightning, and thunder is noise
, by which it is accomplished. The fash
Of lightning is apparently produced by
! the sudden decomposition and ignition oI
! inHamible matter in the air. and thunder
has been supposed to be CAUSED by the
: sudden production Of vacn&sip the line
: of discharge, and the consequent rush O.
: surrounding air to I'll it up.
The most important characteristic o
: wonderful AGENTS. its great electricity
and its tendency to diffuse itself through
all bodies or masses of matter in equa
: proportions, according TO their natu
raj capacity to hold it. When thus diffu
sed il is said to be in stale of equilibrium
= and in this condition no electrical effect
y :, are observed. But the equilibrium !
u continually liable to be destroyed. from
:, great variety OF causes. and 1t is then tba
: electrical phenomena becomes visible.
= This equilibrium of the earth itself
a frequently disiurbed--tbat is. diferen
;; portions OF the crust oi the globe may &C
q q quire different portions Of electricity wit
q respect TO each other. II in such a cas-
the equilibrium should be restored by
T subterranaan explosion the mechanical ell
/, feet would by very similar to those Of q
u earthquake. Winds may be either pos
tive or negative with respect to a patticu
lar part OF the earth's surface, or in otht
NJ words, they may have either more or les
I than their natural proportion Of the qua'
- tity of electricity existing in their. vicin
AZ ty. .~., u Ns
1t has been found by extensive an
er careful observation, that this section OF Il
~ country, at least, thunder clouds, justpr
vious, to the rain, are deficient in electric
~ ty, or negative. When the cloud is co,
lle ,denset into rain, 1T may become Positiv
& for the reason the capacity Of water to col
NJ n tain electricity increases anti decreas
SO with its volume. That is, q ton Of wate
would become positive. s.,.
% As it is almost impossible that ary tW
Ut clouds formed under different circumsta
no ces, should contain exactly the same pr
ut portionate amount Of electricity, it may
ne wondered why thunder storms arc Of fr
n quent occurrence Doe reason evident
an is that the atmosph re holds in sclutic
'W more or less moisture, and as moist air
Dr.. tolenhly good conductor Of electricit
~ it furnishes a free passage TO or from
cloud, so that any gradual large accum
lse lation is prevented. 81.
An explosion or discharge of lightnil
we can never occur unless the two differe
ou electrified bodies are separated from ea'
7, other by an imperfectIy conductir
nd medium. A cloud csnnot retain al
great-exeess ofeleetricity when it is su
ZEN rounded byair which is sufficiently mo
ce, to be a rood conductor. because then I
ug slightestexcess passes off freely by the
'outh to other hnatterin the neighborhood prod
Ike cing no visible effect. O Z VI .8 la "a il
sB Thunder storms are more frequent
bis summer than in winter. probably becau
er OIL more sunuen anu eAJTeIHe NhTiauobs
eep temperature, and also because the
are weather eyaporationis more rapid and .
lall treme. In this part Of the country. thu
we der clouds generally come from the W
eat which may indicate that clouds formed
ne, the evaporation Of fresh water acqu
80 either more or less electricity than clou
IL formed over the ocean. These sto
add clouds seem to move due easterly; but "
~ frequently just as, they reach the CT
Dor dart off either north or south Of us, or
1rst vide. one portion passing to the south
ace the rest to the north. and thus often We
tiously deprive us Of the expected refre
fast ing shower This may be because
aat. many high pointed objects about the c
! of supp'y electricity in a rarifed state to
~ cloud, and thereby lessen the attraction
"a one direotion; or it may be that the colu
of Of heated air which rises perpeudicula
IS a from the city. when the surrounding
a a mos phere Is still, presents slight barr
,ise to the onward progress Of the cloud suffii
to run Il aside
EN- Itis commonly thought that there
more danger from lightning in the 90