Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-08-10
Lhtning-Rods.

AT this seasu Of the year, when thuD.
der-storms are frequent occurrence, and
considerable daLage is done to buildinu
and human life l placed in jeopardy, The
question regardin, the measure of prote.
ton afforded by rods upon buildings i
discussed with muh interest It is pit,
the matter should b, .ne of doubt or I'M.
certainty, and when lightly understood
ceases to be such. Properly constructa
rods, placed upon luidings in a prone
manner, afford absolite protection agains
any electrical dischag1s which are 1iabl.
to occur in thunder sbras, and this should
be clearly understood ,y.very one. Public
confidence has been waksned in regard to
the efficacy of rods, ty he frequent at /
tacks made upon buidngi to which the,
have been affixed; but his,ffords no evil
dence that they are worthless in principleE
1t rather affords proof that he rods wer
badly constructed, or that tey were adj
justed in a careless, unsdenfic manner.
During the past twenty yeai we have
made it point to investigate, PERSONALLY.
every instance of the kind whic occurred
within our reach, and in every oe palpa.
BILE defects were discovered in thqrranpe.
ment of the rods. The defects INST gen.
orally found have been in the groLd CON.
nections of the rods; and we ven,re to
assert, from what we have learned in
vestigation, that large part Of therods
put upon buildings by ignorant, irre,on-
sible "peddlers," afford no measur Of
protection at all. Quite recently it Che
to our notice, in repairing building, ut
the rods penetrated into the surface 81
only about two feet. The rods were w
enough, but the house was unprotected j
consequence of the imperfect earth COL
nection. Peddlers carry with them
crow bar, and with this they make litlt
superficial orifices in the ground, sld
thrust in the end of the rods, caring
nothing for the consequences which may
result from their negligence. Usually they
claim earth penetrations OF eight or ten
feet, and take pay for that extent of rod
and it is time this form Of fraud was stop
ped. Every person who desires to pre-
tect his buildings must attend personally
to having them adjusted. He must know
that the rods penetrate to point where
permanent moisture is present, which can.
not be less, in ordinary soils, than eight
or ten feet. The terminals should be con.
structed of copper, and it is always desira.
bic to have them placed in a well, or at
tached to iron water pipes, if the service
pipes of the building are of lead or tin
AS regards the form of rod, the old-fash.
Toned, large iron rod is best, and it msy BE-
attached to buildings in any way mos
convenient The pretty glass insulaton
so largely used, are unobjectionable, but
quite unnecessary; they do not add to the
measure of protection, or increase the
value Of the conductors. There are hall
dozen different forms of what are known
as "cable rods manufactured, which are
constructed Of bundle of small copper
and iron wires, bound or twisted together
These. for the most part, are of good size
and well adapted to the purposes for which
they are designed. With good rods care
fully and scientifically adjusted, perfsa
sense of security may be entertained BY
the owner or occupant of buildings
Boston Journal Of Chemistry.