Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-08-26

ihCtai luat may tAlSI uDOut inc
house, such as pipes, cutters, con-
ductors, rods, iron ratings, &c.
If the rod is fiat it should be pierre
cd with small holes and nailed di-
rectly to the buildings II it is
round OF square, it should be Sc
cured by staples or metallic clasps.
A rod put up in any other way is
not only comparatively useless, but
in a great measure absolutely dan
gerous.
1t is a prevalent opinion that
lightning rods should be carefully
insulated from the buildings to
which they are attached, and hence
rods are made to pass through
glass thinbles or insulators for the
purpose of preventing the lightning
from passing from the rod to the
building. The entire worthlessness
of such an arrangement ought to
be apparent to any one who ever
saw a flash of lightning, and the
positively dangerous character of
the insulated rod is obvious to any
one who has ever studied the subject
of electricity. That a flash of light
ming which will pass through mile
Of air should be unable to leap from
the rod to the iron which holds the
glass thimble, especially when that
thimble is wet and hence good
conductor, is a proposition too alb
sured for any sensible man to toler-
ate for a single moment. Not a
book on the subject, not an electro
can in the world but will show tie
utter absurdity apd. dangerous
character of such a rod. A mo-
ment's reflection will plainly reveal
the reason why. 1t is an establish
ed principle that unlike electricit-
les always attract each other. Now
suppose a cloud charged with posi-
tive electricity to pass over this
city. Every person, every build
ing in town is at once charged with
corresponding amount of negative
electricity. Every house supplied
with a proper rod, nailed fast to the
roof and connected with all the con-
ductors and cutters of the house
Immediately begins descharging all
its electricity quietly from the point
of the rod and consequently offers
no inducement or attractive force
to the positive electricity of the
cloud, and therefore will not be
struck. Every house not provided
with rod of any kind still retains
its electricity and is liable to be
struck. Every house having rod
insulated 10y glass supports, not
only retains its negative electricity,
but offers the additional induce
ment of rod to attract the light
ming from the cloud. If the bolt of
lightning should fall it would likely
take the shortest cut 10 that point
where islocated the greatest amount
of negative electricity. That point
is the top of the highest building
not provided with a suitable rod.
AS the insulated rod does not carry
of the electricity from the house
top, but on the contrary offers the
extra inducement of rod to the
electricity of the cloud, buildings
provided with such rod are the
ones most liable to be struck.
l have intended to make this
principle as plain rs possible for it
is of the utmost importance and is
substantiatcd by almost numberless
facts. Every season numerous
buildings prov.d ID with insulated
rods are struck and destroyed,
while science has yet to learn of a
building provided with a rod full
filing the requirement before men
toned ever being damaged By
lightning.
A very appropriate question to
ask is, when rod is properly put
up, is it any protection to build
ing! We answer that so far as
facts have yet shown, it is q perfect
protection. Rods properly put up,
as they do not permit an accumula-
ton of electricity in the building
to which they are attached, are al
most never struck. The few that
are struck, convey the electricity
harmlessly into the earth. Almost
numberless facts GO to prove this.
Let us take one. The Cathedral OF
st, Peters, in Geurva, is a lofty
building, and in its construction all
its steeples were accidentally fur
nished with the most perfect con-
ductors. 1t has stood for three
hundred years, and has never been
struck by bolt of lightning, while
other much lower buildings in the
immediate vicinity, not provided
with conductors, have been struck
There is church in Carinthia
standing on an cminence, which
was so often struck that it wa:
deemed unsafe to hold divine ser.
vice within It's walls. In 1870 ,
struke of lightning destroyed III
entire steeple, and after it was re
: blilt it was struck on an average o
four or five times year, not reck
oning extraordinary storms, during
which it was often struck from fiv,
to ten times in a single day. II
: 1888 it was provided with rod
, and during the next five years i
| was touched by lightning only once
7 and then the current followed TIN