New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-06
LIGHTNING AMONG THE TELEGRAPHS,
THE GAS AND WATER PIPES.


nadoes, nor have many lives been lost by lightning.
Thunder-rorns have been universally rare. The
severed Of them generally occur in June and July,
though May is frequently marked by gusts OF great
severity. Tits general absence Of hurricane and ihu-
derstorm is in strong contrast with our experience Of
last IL sometimes happens that calm 80 long
continued is broken by terrific electrical development,
especially after long drouth. The dog-dnya, more
over are just beginning, in which tLunder-storms are
occasionally frequent ard severe In the absence of
rain we frequently zee, Of Summer evening, hi,hes
Of what is popularity called Z" sheet lightning tie
common idea being that cloud can be secn, they
are merely occasioncd by the extreme beat Bat this
is not 80. They proceed from cloud below the
horizon, quite invisible 10 NJ. telegra b operator on
the line between Philadelphia end Piusburs, ler-
took on one OCCASION 10 solve this doubt. Noticing
rereaed fashes Il what il called heat lig thing lie
teegrsphed to a distant operator for sn explanation,
and learned that they proceeded from thunderstorm
then raging, hundred and fifty miles distant from
his place Of observation.
Since tie great multiplication Of telegaphic wires
over The country, and the nterminable net work Of
gas-pipes in dwelling houses, the many apparently
new pranis played among them by lightning, have a.
trlc,ed the attention Of scientific men while eleeraphs
and gns-pipcs have come be regarded by many per-
cons ~ very dangerous neghbors in thunder storm.
Under certain Circumstances they undoubtedly ate 50.
Some fifteen years ago. the late Mr. Samuel ID. ingham
Of PcnusylyRua, requested the opinion Of the Amcri-
can Philosophical Society, "a 10 whethor security IN
regard n accidents from lightning Is neaset or les
tened By the erection Of elogaphc wires, TIE poles q
which are placed by the side Of ruads along which per-
sons with hores and carriages are constantly passing
THE application wss refer 10 Professor Henry, VI
tie srathsnian Institution, from whose report thereon
the following fasis aud deductions arc given. TIC
wires Of elee riph are liable 10 be struck by greet
charge from the couds several instances Of the kind
lave been obsorved. On one occasion the lightning
struck the elevated part Of the wire, isupporei
On hyh mas, whore the line crosses the Illckeusac
river TIE fluid passed along the wire each way from
tie striking poD, for several uies, striking on At regu-
lar intervals down tie supporting roles. AT each point
where the discharge took place along pole, a number
II sharp explosions heard in succession reAem-
bling tie rapid reports q several rites. On another
occasion tie wire wa, struck in two pisces on tie
route from New-York TO Philadelphia ~ one Of
these places twelve poles were struck and al another
eight In some instances the lightning las been seen
eoursing along the wire like stream Of light, and in
one case il is described exploding from tie wire in
several places though there We're no bodies IN toe
vicinity 10 attract it from tie conductor. Thus two
strokes on the wine shattered - poles, in descending
which tloy produced twenty minor eXpios,on5, the
number Of which was well calculated TO alarm the
jewellers near by and to lead the oonoluSion that
telegrsphs were dangerous neighbour, though no dam
age was done except 70 the poles.
a. ,elegraphc wires frc erected for tie express lur
rosc Of transmitting electricity from artificial batteries,
Il should not excite surprise TO find them occasionally
seized on by tie great natural battery OF the stmos
phcre. Prof Henry says that when We corsder tie
great length Of the conductor, and consequently the
many points along the surace Of the earth through
which II pass II is peculiarly liato to receive
discharges from the ololde. Beside this from tho
great length Of the conductor s natural electricity,
driven 10 the farther ends OF tho we will be removed
10 point ai great distance from under the cloud, and
honce this will BE- rendered intensely negative,
and It's attractive power thereby highly increased. IL
Il not probable however that the atirac ion what
ever may be its intensity, Of 30 email wire "a that Of
the telegraph, Of Itself produce On electrical de.
charge from the heavens, although If the discharge
were started from some other cause, such as the at
traction Of large mass Of conducting matter in the
vicinity, tho attraction Of tie wire might be suhl-
cont 10 change the direction Of the descending bolt and
draw IT, in whole or in part 70 itself ByIeason the
perfect conduclion Of the wire discharge any
point Of il must affect every Obs part Of the con.
neeted line, although the whole mly be several humid
red miles in length. That the wire should throw OF
discharge az a number Of poles in Succession, is fact
that might have been anticipated since the electricity
would by lie sclfrcpulson tend 70 scnd portion Of
itself down the partial conducting pole while the
naming part attracted by the wire nadvanee ofitscf
rendered negative by induction, would continue IFS
passage along the metal until it met anotherpolo when
new division Of tie charge would take place, and 20
on. Tho several explosions in succession heard al the
pole is explained by the fact that the discharge
from the cloud does no. generally consist Of sngio
wave OF electricity but ola number Of discharges in
the same path in rapid succession in some eases
10 present the appearance Of Continuous discharge OF
very appreciable duptoni and hence teleSraPhic
wire ia capable OF transmitting an immense quantity Oh
the fluid thus distributed In time great length Of
the conductor.
Tlu, as to The direct discharge, tie danger TO he
approhended from the electricity leaving the wire and
striking porson on the road is sn,al Electricity Of
sufficient intensity TO strike person ut the distance of
twenty feet from perfectly insulated wire, would Ind
preferable conductor in TIE nearest pole. Bat in all
cases It viii be most pru lent to keep at proper Dir
lance from the wire during the existence OF thunder
storm or even a, auy time when the sound Of thunder
IL head in the distance. All wires passing through
cities and attached to houses should be provided at
rnerous points with electrical coductorso carry of the
discharge 10 the earth. These should consist OF copper
wires intimately connected with the ealth ly means Of
metal plate a, the lower end extending 10 The pole