The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-13
Rictrmond 1ispatth,
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Frorh the New York Citizen.

Frori the New York Citizen.
Lightning and its Curiosities.
The frequency and violence of thunder
storms, and the many catastrophes that
have attended them; have of late excited
general apprehension, and reUpened the old
discussion about lightning conductors and
other devices for safety. It is remarkable
that recently observed phenomena refute
not few old and firmly trusted eXpedi-
ents, and suggest the utility of accepting
all, or nearly all, of the time-honored no.
tions on the subject with caution. Thus it
has been held that feathers afford absolute
protection yet woman has been killed at
st. Louis by stroke of lightning while
lying on a feather bed. 1t has been thought
that intervening glass inst1res safety; but
an instance has occurred Of person being
struck who was sitting by 4 closed window.
Iron and copper conductors have been de-
pended upon but persons have been killed
In houses provided with rods and believed
to be. quite secure. The explanation of the
first inndequacy appears to be that the pro-
lection of the feather bed is insufficient un-
less the head is covered by some non-con-
dnctirg substance: As regards window
glass, it seems that, during lightning the
inner panes of closed windows acquire an
Opposite electricity to the outside, whence
the action on the inside. On the other hand,
1t is indisputabIe that all draughts Of air are
conductors, and therefore should be duoided.
The great danger, it should always be re-
membercd, from the electric fluid, except
when surrounded by non-conductors, lies in
isolation; and this notwithstanding the GU
RIOTS and apparently contradictory fact that
nine persons were proStratcd simultaneously
the other day by the lightning at Il place on
Long Island. We seldom hear of accidents
in great cities where numerous houses are
crowded together, or Mt wharvcs where
there are many ships, or in woods where
there are many trees. The aggregation of
conductors in such cases prevents the gather
ing Of antaoonistic elcctricities to degree
adequate to destructive discharges. II Is the
solitary house or tree. the lofty and lonely
church-steeplc: the solitary traveller plod-
ding across Il plain; that is i'll the greatest
| peril; and In whose behalf; consequently, the
| greatest precaution should be adopted. Now,
! it has been urged, in view of the frequent
| failures of lightning-rods as protectors, that
sufficient for their purpose that failures
arise from ignorant or nunglrng application,
or bad materials, or disregard of some OF
| those precautionary details so carefully set
| forth i'll tyOn's hTrcatise on Lightning
Conductors" ;" which have the endorsement
of the Scientific Americdn but, after all,
there is abundant reason to assume, and
| this on the same principle Of distribution
already referred to, that metallic roof,
| whether Of tin, zinc. or Lead, connecting
! by, ,spQilts OF similar metal with wells, or
with The earth, is as good n protection
against lightnin" rs Il dwelling can have.
! 1t is admitted by experts that in houses so
provided the efficiency of lightning protect
ors proper is impaired by the preponderancc
Of conducting stlrlace on the roof and down
the side of the building; and rs the appli-
cation Of such rods; ,udcr such circum-
slanccs; looks very like gliding refined gold
and painting the lily, we may ask why ap-
ply them at ali? Steinmetz, very good
authority, seems to think the best lightning
conductor to be Lead or copper on the ridge
If thh roof, with perfect continuation OF
metal pipes into the ground.
There is no doubt that certain individuals
are far more likely to be injured by light.
ming than the mass of their fellow-beings
and hence. if such susceptibility is appre'
hended, and can by any means be verified,
it IL highly IMPORTANT that such person
should hayc, recourse to extraordinary pro.
tectivcs. That women arc less obnoxious
to the fluid; or less attractive 10 il, than the
iirn Is established by abundant Statistical
evidence. The French tables-the most
minute of which we have any knowledge
give the casualties to women from lightning
ut less than onc-third of those to men. The
fact is varously explained, especially by
the allegation that men are more exposed
than women; and that the silk dresses
4 worn by the latter give them compa
ratiVe itlmtnity;' but many women IL
France are very much exposed, an(
these are Just the women who do moi
wear silk dresses. Moreover. it is affirmed
that in many eases the fluid, falling on Il
group Of both SEXES, has picked out the
males. II would appear from this that du
! ring gthunQcr-Storms, II ut no other time, the
ladies may. with rational dclicacy, give III
the places of most approved security to then
ifiation Of sexes. the lightning exhibits still
other preferences. Wonderful .:s i, seems
there are persons who have been struck b,
it several times during their lives, and, wha
is more astonishing still, one such perS0l
has been struck by lightning three times il
three different dwellings. He has the conso
lation OF knowing that the frequency O
these ViSitationS seems to deprive them o
their fatal character--for we believe he still
surviyeS--yet the chance Of being struck b,
lightning, so often ihade a jest OF, because il
any individual ease so unlikely, must alway
in his case he uncomfOrtably probable.
An examination of many recent papers
from scientific sources, on electrical phe
nomena, coupled with late notorious refu
tations by nature, not only of the Superst1
tions of the ignorant, but Of the elaborate
conclusions of sdudns, leads us to the belle
that the present state of human knowledge
OH this mysterious and most interesting sub
iect is exceedingly imperfect, and its deduc
tions peculiarly untrustworthy. Only with
in very short time have men known-or
at least, begun to act as if they knew-tha
the electrical fluid does not descend alone
from above in vertical lines, but approache
horizontally, and even sometimes from be
low. The fact that houses without light
ning-rods have Of late been frequently passet
over without injury during storms, while ad
jacent houses with those provisions have beer
more or less affected, must inevitably have
serious influence in destroying confidence il
Il device formerly thought so etlectual. L
would be matter for public congratulallol
if the country which possessed FRANKLIN
should, at the present in some respect
brilliant, but in others dubious and unSatlS
factory stage of electrical development ant
investigation, produce Il powerful and tho
roughly trained thinker, who, by deVotln!
his exclusive attention TO the subject, nigh
lead us out of the mists and clouds OF OIL
half-knowledge into the light of Il more per
feet day.
Everything that astronomers can't under
stand is ascribed to the influence OF TIT
moon. When we have two moons, as Al
astute German predicts will soon be the case
it is TO be hoped that the action of one ma,
be counteracted by the other, and the star