Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-08-13

The frequent and remarkable displays Of
electricity during this summer aud the severe
losses that seem TO discourage all attempts
at protection may czc &c some. interest in on
attempt to elicit the views of some of our
citizens. The triad of light, heat and cleo
TRICKY are still involved in The same kind of
obscnrity that mnst always invest certain
Theological dogmas when any attempt is
made to reason with regard to them, and
although we are accustomed TO speal. of the
three as individuals they are most probably
the same essential clement and some sup
pose this element is motion or more probably
force.
The vulgar conception is of six elements
or a double triad, viz: cold and heat, light
and darkness, positive and negative. Con-
sequently they are thus more easily de-
scribed. The graphic and interesting
description of the freaks of Electricity at
Lincoln, published on the first page of the
last TRIBUNE, are from the pen of a gentle
man who vastly cxcels most of his profession
in natural science. Nevertheless he asks
certain questions which we hope some ex-
pert may assist in answering, being DESTROYS
of more light upon the subject of Electricity,
but not in direct form, as manifested on
Sunday night recently in this neighborhood,
costing a neighbor some twenty thousand
dollars in buildings, stock, grain. etc, etc.
We want some discussion of a practical
character, exhibiting the causes Of such dis
asters an the presence Of lightning rods,
and l will venture TO account for some of
the phenomena referred 10, hoping that some
more able pen may give us some practical
application OF that which has been well as
ceriained in the laws of Electricity.
II is generally supposed that lightning
comes from the clouds, but the fact is that
the earth is the source of nearly all the mis-
chief, and 1t most frequently the counter
stroke" that produces phenomena such as
those described, viz: In proportion as a
cloud is highly charged with electricity. and
in proportion as it approaches the earth, all
buildings having lightning rods become
| highly charged, especially a tin roof or a
| wet shingle roof. When the lightning
strikes some tree or other point elsewhere,
this highly charged roof discharges itself,
through the bell wires or lightning rod,
choosing the best conductor and apparently
| going out of its way to seek such Gas we
may hereafter EXPLAIN concentrating there
on from all sides, and emerging therefTom,
as in the case of the nails in the tree, just as
if the nail had been stricken from the cloud,
but leaving no traces dboUs, showing only
the point of exit, as If stricken literally
With this view of the case, conductors or
lightning rods must he extremely mschiev-
Gus, unless sufficiently large to return all
the electricity they have gradually accumu-
lated on the roof, as illustrated by the nails
in the tree. The top of that tree was high
ly charged (but grdduaiiy) through little
streams of water running down the bark, or
still more gradually through the sap under
| tha. larly A ~ hirla in, I'm iron
are sometimes killed, jus: as the nails were
destroyed, by virtue of their conducting
power. Moreover, other animals under the
tree are stunned, upon the same principle.
Certainly not by electricity from the cloud
nor the lightning rod of house near by.
Every housewife knows that milk in the
cellar is thus stricken whenever an electric
cloud passes over the house, although il
may have discharged itself many miles dis
tant; yet by what is called induction, the
top of every pan of milk in the cellar and
| every person in the house is charged witt
electricity because of the cl Jud, and ii al
this moment all could be insulated Cor Gu
off from the earth) the house would remair
charged like a Leyden jar, and could be dis
charged in the same way.
| suppose that tin water spouts will pro
y tect more than lgt thing rods, especially /
/, not rusted or il painted with gas tar within
{ and without. The cloud is invited to til,
, house by pointsi rod, and unless it has
, very large surface it cannot restore the equi
!, librium alone aud consequently other gooC
!. conductors in the house suffer, producing
all the phenomena of the nails in the tree
: Sometimes gun is then discharged that il
y resting on a chimney or some better con
|, Quoting surface.
a The rod or a small wire may gradual,
v charge roof from the earth, but the nstan
aneous discharge of this roof will fuse TIL
/, wire ant set the house ON fire in a dozci
places.
1t is manifest that the roof will not dis
+ charge its clectri ity until the equilibrium
!. In the cloud is restored, and ills may 0ccu
: through some better conductor or a neare
If one to the cloud although many miles from
II the house. The influence ofthunder storm
e in the growth Of plants is not usually recog
y nized but attributed to other causes-lh
:, fact is that every plant and animal is cleo
!. trtied By induction through clouds that ar
d apparently exciting no influence on tn
d earth-the milk in the cellar more frequent
ly records such events, and the insulation o
II the milk pan would better preserve its con
e tents than mere temperature, &c, flour the
\ DRY is correct.
!. PoRT PENS, july 3isi lS6s.