New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-06-16
SCIENCE, INDUSTRY AND INVENTION
LIGHTNING DIsARMING A THUNDER
CLOUD.


But it may well be doubted whether they occur moro
frequently in proportion to the increased population,
than in former years. There are now 50 many news
papers in the rural districts that every local incident Of
the kind is quickly caught up put into print and sent
off on its travels. 1t must be to the modern
thoroughness with which they are reported by the
local press that the idea Of their increased frequency is
to be attributed; for careful record kept by Mr..
Merriam Of Brooklyn shows that there is but little
annual variation in the number Of these casualties In
1858 there were Sc persons killed and &C injured by
lightning while in 1859 there rs killed and A in
jured beingtwo less than the year before During the
many years of observation which this gentleman has
devoted to the phenomena of lightning he says that no
case of death has happened to person lying an iron
bedstead, or in house or building having metallic
roof. He AYERS that persons in iron buildings iron
vessels within railroad cars board of steamboats, or
ocean steamers or in vessels furnished with metallic
conductors continue to enjoy complete protection from
death or injury from lightning. SO also with
those in ordinary buildings furnished with proper
conductors Mr. Merriam thinks that thunders
and lightnings are engaged in other labofs than
those usually recorded lightning incidents. Distant
thunder, for instance, win curde milk and stop the
fermentation of brewers yeast, while active Lightning
putre6es the fresh meat hanging the butchers STALL
The potato rot will vet be identified the result OF
electrical influences Diseases in the human system
have long been suspected Of similar origin, while
others are undoubtedly aggravated by this mysterious
agent of the Almighty. Cholera, and kindred COM
plants, are largely Influenced by thunder and Light
ming, and so with yellow fever for in countries where
no thunder and lightning active, these scourgs are
unknown. india where the lightning is awful and the
thunder terrific has in cholera present scourge,
while California, where the thunder gust is unknown,
has Leen pronounced the healthiest climate in the
world.
1t is remarkable that large cities enjoy an almost
perfect immunity from danger TO life by Lightning.
This remark applies welto American as to European
cities. Between 1900 and 1851, not single death by
phtningis recorded having occurred in Paris while
throughout France from 1895 to 1852 the average an
nual number of seaths from the same cause was ~.
In 1895 the number killed was Ill. During 80 years,
in which $50 600 deaths occurred in London, two only
had been produced by lightning. Twenty-Five per
cent of all the deaths from this happen to per-
cons under trees From this data it is evident that
lightning finds more victims in the open country than
in cities There are definite for this immunity
enjoyed by citizens. Large towns made up Of lofty
buildings, muttudes of which are covered with me-
tallic roofs from which tin iron cutters lead OF the
rain water They contain many churches, most Of
which baye ostentatious spires armed with lightning
rods. Private dwellings are protected in the Same
way go that the city in reality brisles with metallic
points, each of which, presented to the thunder cloud,
discharges silently but surely portion of its destrue-
tive energy. This vast array of conductors grouped
mp within limited area must of necessity, carry of
the electricity Of oyerhangng cloud, not 1t true,
as rapidly as Natures great laboratory,
but rapidly enough TO mitigate its intensity. When
the bolt does fall flights some one OF there mnltitud-
nous points, which thus performs its wonderful office
of carrying the explosion harmlessly of.
The facilities for insuring protection from the raw
ages of lightning have SO multiplied within twenty
years that thousands have in consequence adopted
them. Formerly, the only person who undertook TO
put up a conductor was the blacksmith. Many times
when applied 10 he had no stumble material, and
compelled to forge clumsy rod containing three times
the quantity of iron really necessary, with clunsier
joints and staples, which he placed upon the building
without any intelligent reference TO either how or
where il ought to be secured. Such fixture
rily costs so much AS TO prevent many househoders
from protecting their buildings. Farmers, it is true,
frequently supplied their barns with conductors; yet
the intelligent reader bear testimony to the fact
that barns certainly destroyed more frequently
in former years than now though their number must
have prodigiously increased This immunity is owing
to the increased facilities enjoyed by the community for
obtaining conductors. Now, instead of going TO the
village blacksmith, the ghtningrod peddler comes 10
tie farmers door, displays light, neat, artistic article,
which he sells one-third the price tho blacksmith
charged and being provided with staples, points, and
ladder puts the rod upon the hosse immediately, the
whole cost being only Jew dollars, and moves oil to
repeat the process The adjoining farm. II is well
known that these pedders have trsversed nearly every
State IN the Union and that they are doing SO while
we write. They have put up millions Of feet Of iron.
So great a business has been done III this line that
dozen patents for ghtningrods have been taken out,
and being vigorously urged on the community, have
made their owncrs rich. II il to the thoroughness
with which these have cavasscd the country that
anv dimi1 u,on of casualties must be attributed. II 10
true that an enlightened pubc sentiment has demanded
more generally than twenty years ago an increased
from the rsyages OF lightning, but these
men have ministered it by bringing to every mans
door the protection he wac anxious 1t must
be evident that at least nnetcnths Of these pedders
were the mer ST mechanics that could be set 10 work
at such business that though they knew how to drive
staple and screw up joint, yet that they were utterly
ignorant Of the whole theory and science Of electricity
and that when they did put up conductor correctly 1t
was altogether accident. The owner left every
thing the pedder and the pedder put mp the rod,
not in quantity position ~ true science would have
dictated but as he found il most conveniently and most
quickly TO be DONE A ride through any part OF the
country VIII satisfy the intelligent observer, familiar
with the duties conductor is intended TO fulfill tho
dangers It is to avert and with the rules to be observed
in erecting IT, that the whole business has been in