Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-10-31
About Lightning-I,ods.

The frequent and violent thunder
storms of the present season, and the
number OF the disasters resulting from
them, have awakened q general uncasi.
ness as to the efficiency of lightning rods.
Public opinion is sharply divided be
tween those who have implicit faith in
everything that is sold and put up as a
lightning rod and those who have no con
tidcnco whatever in them When the
lightning in one season makes way with
half million dollars of property, sun
posed to be protected by lightning
IN single city, rs in Philadelphia last
year, ii is very evident that there is some
thing defective either in the theory or
construction of the rods. Anything,
therefore, which goes to throw Light upon
this important subject, or points the
way to complete and absolute protection
from the swift destruction which the
lightning brings In its course, cannot fail
of being welcome The following ia
taken from a brief article relating to this
subject IN Van Nosrand's Engineering
baga,fnt for September:
discharge OF lightning always selects
the path which offers the least resistance;
and damage ensues wherever il passes
from one good medium to another.
through an intervening. imperfect medi-
um. This principle is simple enough, but
We give single practical illustration. In
one of our recent showers the lightning
struck house in Cambridge The tiuid
passed down the lightning rod to point
near The ground when it was attracted by
a kitchen sink, the great body pf which
WAS covered with zinc. II of course for
sock the rod for the more inviting medium
within, and as u consequence, considera-
bic havoc was wrought with the injcryeu-
ing woodwork. A lightning rod or sys-
tenn Of lightning rods is, therefore, value
less, or worse than valueless, unless it
offers continuous pathway for the elec-
trio fluid more attractive than any it can
search out fo. itself The reason that SO
many buildings which have lightning.
rods upon them are struck and injured Is
simply because the work of the cunstfuc-
ton and erection Of the rods is done by
men who are wholly ignorant of the laws
Of electricity, and only seek TO conform
to the popular notion that any building
which bristles with metallic points is safe.
Quackery exists in the lightning rod bust
ness no less than In other trades, and finds
u peculiarly broad and congenia field,
because people in general are so ig-
norant or suporstitous in regard to
the working of electricity. The true
course, as practiCcd successfully for
many yenrs, is to connect the rods with
the gas or water pipes in house, which
VIII furnish n complete and continuous
path, possibly miles in extent, for convey
ing and dispensing the fluid II these do
not exist, the ground connection of the
rods should be with the best conducting
material that is present II stream OF
water, with that; if only moist earth,
with ihn' And the rods must penetrate
below the building, Just as they project
above It. The rods should have connec-
tion with all rarts Of the building, and
should be solid bars rather than twisted,
corrugated, OF tubular.
Bearing in mind the fact that lightning
rods, to insure any degree Of safety, must
offer continuous pathway TO the fluid,
ANA pathway, moreover, with less re-
Sistance than any other, We see that tho
least scientific Of us has sufficient protec.
tinn against the wilo5 Of itincrant swind.
Icrs. A man who knows these simple
facts, and permits the erection on his
house u rods which do not answer these
conditions deserves to have an occasion
nj visitation Of lighting 20 show him his
folly. And the man who Is wicked
enough to sell and put them up ought, AZ
mere matter Of poelical Justice, 10 be
tTansilYed with a bolt while he Is engaged
in hIg deceptive and dangerous work