New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-06-16

% Assumed a. Absolutely certain that In every sue" ~"
stance the rod has been iserably out Of ORDER OF P
ND meany and chesply by direction OF penutouS
owner. or by an ignorant and incompetent pedd'er'
TIE principle Of protection developed by Franklin re-
mains sound and ali that is needed to perfes
Immunity from danger is a strict adherence to what
e know il demands as the condition Of safety. AS the
usual term for thunder-storms is coming on, every
careful householder should have bis lightning rods ex-
amned and il found defective, put in perfect order
The Joints should be seen 10 be close and tight for con-
tpuitv is indispensable to safety. If the Winters
has bent that part which projects above the roof
Il should be taken down and Strengthened See also,
that the lower section which goes into the ground mas
not rusted off, as is often the case; and this thorough
examination should be made every year.
Thunder-clouds are charged with different degrees
of intensity some heavily, some lightly Some sweep
over the earth at greater altitude than others Those
which hang low discharge their contents, whether OF
water OF electricity with the greatest energy All our
thunderstorms, with few exceptions, come up from
the northwest. Hence the conductors should be
erected at those points Of the building with winch the
cloud will first come in contact. This is necessary,
because every thundereoud ia surrounded by an cleo
trio atmosphere which precedes the cloud itse This
may be easily verified by placing the knucke TO the
conductor as the cloud approaches. Sparks viii fire.
ouently be drawn from il while the thunder yet rolls
in the distance showing that the electrical haze has
already enyeloped the building, and that the rod IS
silently conducting the fluid into the earth. The rod 10
already performing its functions with the mere cleo
trcal atmosphere just II would seek to do If assaied
by an explosion from the cloud. But thousands OF
rods have been put up by the pedders IN direct VIOLA
ton Of this rulo, when the prominent points OF
the building were in the proper quarter. The gable
ends of barns most remote from the approaching cloud
are selected by them freq 1enty as the proper end
Persons of he highest preensions in their business OF
making conductors are constantly committing this
greyous error 1t cannot be too spec lily and generally
corrected. Some FIVE years ago young woman was
piekipg cherries in tree which stood near her thers
house in Warren Co.. New-Jersey. A cloud was
seen to be approaching though at great distance.
But il was surrounded and preceded by highly ex-
cited electrical atmosphere There was no rain as the
cloud was great way of. Yet persons In the neigh
bcrhood raw fash traverse the air in an almost hori-
zontal line and sbatter the in which the girl was
seated, and che was killed. This was an unusual
occurrence and yet similar discharge has been seen
to leave cloud and traverse great distance, until il
u
but recently filed with new hay. 1t followed this
stream as choice conductor struck and destroyed the
barn. tI.-
This presence of an electrical atmosphere has some
times exhibited the NEST remarkable phenomena. The
great lightning storm Of June lSis was especially pro-
ductiye of Them Mr.. Coopers extensive rolling-min
at Trenton n j., seemed TO be charged in every part
with electricity. Though that storm extended ever
surface of 700 miles, yet place witnessed more SIN
guar display of its mighty energies than Trenton.
The lightning struck the earth there repeatedly.
workman at the rollingmill attempted to lower the
iron damper, which connected with iron chains,
bat he no sooner laid his hand the latter than be re-
ceived shock which Frustrated him. Ascend work
man repeated the attempt, and was IN turn Knocked
down while the third also received severe shock.
fireman attempted TO stir the melted iron in the fur
mace but the instant his iron stier touched the fluid
metal be received violent shock. Other similar facts
occurred, showing that the whole atmosphere was
charged with electricity to an extraordinary extent,
and that chains bars furnaces, and even the melted
metal, were silently acting conductors between the
cloud and the EARTH giving ont neither shock nor spark
unless touched by the unconscious workman. The
masses of metal which surrounded the 300 hands EN-.
ployed in the mill many potent protectors; but
the same precautions should be used TO guard against
the electrical atmosphere which invariably precedes and
surrounds thundercloud against the cloud itself
The true position TO which the rods should be af-
fixed having been ascertaned as me- nioned above the
next important question as the quantity of iron 10
be used. A wire one-quarter inch thick viii efectu-
ally protect any building providing there be point Of
stiff metal set up on every prominent part, with as
many outlets into the ground there points in the
air the whole being connected by wires extend
ing over the building. Galvanized wire is preferable
to all Others it is not liable TO oxidation. The
greater the quantity Of iron, and the more numerous
the outlets the greater the safety. This in accord
ance with FrankIns directions, except that the guam
tiy of iron ia increased large building should have
hundreds of feet Of rod, and any building what
should have not less than two points and two out
ets There ia good reason for this apparent profu
sion of iron. Explosions of electricity vary in intens
ty some being very feeble, while others of awful
power No certain calculation can be made as to
whether the coming shock viii be light or heavy;
hence it is prudent TO guard against the latter, in
doing 80 we eHectually diSarm the former A light
shock will BIO carried off by single rod without in
jury; but the discbarging power OF such rod being
uniform with its receiving power, because of its single
outlet, explosion on ts point may occur charged
with prodigious volume of electricity that the
pacity of the rod is not great enough to carry Off
Herein lies the great danger of an insufficient con-
ductor. The discharging power being fixed and linn
lied, any of electricity viii leave the conductor
fly Oh into the house in search of another whether il
be the stovepipe the human body and do its deadly
work. Innumerable eases where such results have
followed an excessive discharge conductor having
single outlet TO the earth are on record Accounts