Daily national Democrat., 1861-04-06

quested the opinion of the American Phlo-
sophical Society as to whether security in
regard to accidents from lightning is increas-
ed or lessoned by the erection cf telegraph
wires, the poles Of which are placed by the
side CT the roads along which persons with
horses and carriages are constantly passing.
The subject was referred to Prof J. Henry of
the Smithsonian Institute from whose report
in regard to it the following facts and deduc-
tions are given. The wires Of telegraph
are liable to be struck by direct charge
from the clouds, and several instances of this
kind have been observed About the 20th
of May, 1916, the lightning struck the eleva-
ted part of the wire, wnich is supported on a
high mast wnere the wire crosses the Hack
ensac river The fluid passed along the wire
each way from the point which received the
discharge for several miles, striking off at
regular intervals down the SUI porting poles
AT each point where the discharge took place
| along pole, number of sharp explosions
were heard in succession, resembling the
rapid reports of several rifles During
another storm the wire was struck in two
places on the route between New York and
Philadelphia AT one Of these places twelve
me instances the lightning has been seen
coursing along the wire like u stream of light.
and in one case it is described as exploding
from the wire in several places, though there
were no bodies in the vicinity to attract it
from the conductor.
"Ihat the wires Of the telegraph should
be frequently struck is not surprising, when
we consider the great length Of the conduc-
tor, and consequently the many points along
the surface Of the earth through which it
must pass, peculiarly liable to receive he dis
charge from the heavens Besides this, fir m
the great length Of the conductor, its natural
electricity, driven to the farther end or ends
of the wire, will be removed to a great dis
tance from the point imm, diately under the
cloud, and hence this will be rendered more
intensely negative aud its attractive power
thereby highly increased 1t is not, however,
probable that the attraction, whatever may
be its intensity, ofso SNAIL wire a. that of
the telegraph, can of itself produce an eec-
trical discharge from the heavens, although,
il the discharge were started from some
other cause, such as the attraction OF a large
mass of conducting matter in the vicinity,
the attraction of the wire might be sufficient
to change the direction of the descending
bolt and draw it, in whole or in part, to it.
self 1T should also be recollected that, on
account OF the perfect conduction of the wire,
a discharge on any one point of it, must af-
feet every other part OF the connected line,
although the whole may tie several hundred
mics IN length. That the wire should give
of u discharge to IA number of poles in sue.
cesson, is fact that might have been antici-
pated, since the electricity would, by its self
repulsion, tend to send portion of itself
down the partial conducting pole, while the
remaining part, attracted 10y the wire in ad-
vance of itself, rendered negative by induc-
tion, would continue its p s-ase along the
metal until it met another pole. when new
division ofthe charge would take place, and
so on. The several explosions in succession,
heard at the same pole, is explained by the
fact that the discharge from the c.oud does
not generally consist ola single wave of sue
cessi0n, SC as in some cases to present the APP
pearance of a continuous discharge of ii very
appreciable duratiou and hence the wire Of
IA telegraph is capable of transmitting an i'm
mense quantity Of the fluid thus distributed
IN time over a great length Of the conductor.
From the foregoing, i'll regard to the direct
discharge, We think the danger to be appre
hended from the electricity leaving the wire
and striking person on The road is small
Electricity of sufficient intensity to strike a
person at the distance Of twenty feet from
perfectly insulated wire, would in preference
be conducted down the nearest pole. 1t wiH
however, in all cases, be most prudent to
keep at a proper distance from the wine du-
ring the existence Of thunderstorm, or even
at any time when the sound of thunder is
heard in the distance. In case of wires pass
ing thruu. h cities and attached to houses.
they should he provided at num,roUs points
with el' ctrical conductors to carry oil the dis
.ha g., I i, 9
wires Intimately connected with the earth by
means of II plate of metal at the lower end
extending up the pole or side Of the house,
and terminating in flat plate above, parallel
to another plate Of metal depending from the
wire OF the telegraph The two plates are
separated 10y thin stratum of air, or some
other non-cOud0clIng material, through |
which the intense discharge from the clouds |
will readily pass and be conducted to the
eorth, Willie the insulation of the wire for
the purposes OF the telegraph is unimpaired"
McNvLTy, TIE SUICIDE 1t may not be gem
orally known that the first wife of McNulry, |
who lately killed himself in san Francisco,
herself committed suicide The Bulletin says
A relative OF the family assures us that
McNnlty's wife was a widow Bently, and
daughter Of Henry Arnold. of Lancaster
Ohio; that she was some fifteen years older
than the deceased and was afflicted with he
rediiary insanity for some time before de-
ceased left Ohio on his return to California
She put an end to her life bv cutting her
throat while those in custody Of her were
off their guard. This WAS dSne, he says |
sumo months after deceased had left Ohio on
his return to California. His conduct to his
wife he AYERS to have been everything that
was due from a husband, and that her death
had nothing to do with his returning to CAL !
i'ornia without her Her removal to Cali !
tornia was a thing that, under the circum-
stances, could not have been accomplished
NcNullv, he adds, was ii believer in Spirit
ualsm, and within the last few years subject
to insanity. A small quantity Of liquor would
produce temporary arrangement with him
A short time before his death, he received a !
letter from his wife, who was in Oakland at |
the time, stating that she could not defer her !
visit to her friends in the East as he had re-
quested
NorcE OF a LIoN-The New Orleans Bulle |
tin calls President jeff Davis lion His !
voice doesn't sound much like that of the |
monarch Of the forest to our ears, bat Doctor |
Livingstone, the African traveller, says that !
at a little distance it IS Impossible to dstn-
guish between the roar of lion and the
luaIl of an ostIch-Loa Jour
-rsrgssIr1ls-1-1-.=zsz=-.1a-s
Marysviile Ill. Il. Society.
The monthly meeting Of this society will be held on
Sunday, April 7th at P. NJ. runctual attend