The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-26

PROFESSOR WISE on FRANKLIN's GREAT DIS
CovERY-THE STORM OF THURSDAY NIGHT.
To the Editor of the Philadelphia Times:
About dusk last evening, while in con-
yersation with Professor Blasius upon the
philosophy of storms, the elements of nature
were clever enough to give us an ocular de-
monstration of how storm is precipitatcd
upon us. We were sitting at the time in
front OF 1861 north Eleventh street. A
streak OF cloud, running from southwest to
northeast, marked the node OF the polar cur
rent wedging in under the tropical current
from the south. Soon the heavens were all
ablaze with lightnings-heat lighnings flash
ing from cloud to cloud; forked lightning,
running horizontally, and splitting out lateral
streaks along its track; zig-Zag lightning,
crashing downward with fearful detona-
tions. It was brilliant display OF natural
fireworks. The orange-colored flashes were
followed by heavy thuds and rumbllnS re-
yerberations; the vivid, diamond-llke dis
charges were followed by crashes like the
explosion OF thousand percussion caps.
The orange-colored was low tension; the
diamond-colored high tension. 1t seemed
as if the polar current supplied the elcc.
tricity, and the tropical current fired 1t Oil.
a few hours later Il second storm was pre-
cipitated over the city. This one came with
artillery and battering-rams. The destruc-
tion from the wind was the carrying away OF
flags, awnings, roofs, etc.; that OF the cleo
tricitv in the manner of thunderbolts. The
building under the roof of which the Times
thunders forth its anathemas against the
political corruption OF the day was the reclp-
lent OF grand salute from Jupiter's artll-
lery. Thc shot came from the southwest,
and took in its range one of the sandstone
pinnacles on the parapet wall. 1t broke on
one Of its ornate projections and then struck
| the roof, which is OF corrugated iron, good
compensator. Now this has ON it range OF
chimneys, four Of them lined from west to
east. The electrical force is not manifest on
the western one. On the second one, which
stands in the line Of projection, the iron plate
on ITS top was displaced and the mortar
between the bricks was forced out and scat
tered around to considerable extent. The
next chimney eastward showed less me-
| chanical action on its mortar; the last one
| in the row still less, showing conclusivey
| that as more surface OF metal was flashed
over the less became the force. This temple,
| like that OF Solomon, has its immunity from
harm by lightning in the metal that forms
| its roof.
Another shot took in its range the flag
States Bank building). Itshivered the flag
pole into fine kindling wood, but one big
splinter was hurled over an adjoining build
ing, which in falling planted itself into the
slate roof. The pole was shivered down to
where the metal sheeting OF the roof was IN
contact with it. Beyond that not trace OF
the electric force is visible another eonclu-
sive proof that metal roofs afford certain
| protection from lightning strokes. About
a week ago Hirsh's umbrella-house had
! similar electrical visitation, but having a
metal roof nothing was damaged but the
flag-pole. These are few OF the hundreds
of lightning strokes that have examined
that show the protection in metal roofs.
The hghtnlng-rod" as protection in it.
self is of no more value as protection than
bodkin would be to ward of the ball fired
from columbiad. Imay add that all thun-
derbolts come from the westward In 'ne
line of direction of the storm.
JOHN WISE.