The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-08-13
The Fatal Lightning Stroke.


son in the destruction of both life and
property. The electrical disturbances
have been greater than is common,
and the larger percentage of fatality is
thus logically explained but the fact
that nearly every day reports start
ling record of fatal results from light
ming, should impress upon people gen
orally the necessity of employing every
reasonable prec aution against such
casualties.
1t is hardly possible to perfectly
guard person and property from the
disastrous results of the lightning
stroke but a large majority of the
cases reported could have been pre-
vented by the exercise of common
sense precaution. The man who takes
shelter under an isolated tree in
thunder storm, does his level best to
expose himself TO the fatal stroke.
Nearly or quite half Of all the casual
ties by lightning are invited by the
victims by taking shelter under large
trees, which must attract discharge
of electricity if it comes anywhere
near them. Many people at work in
fields or travelling on the highway, are
unable to find shelter from sudden
thunder storms but when refuge must
be taken out of doors, let it be 10 the
smallest bushes or trees which can be
found. The Indians had tradition
that the beach tree was protected by
the Great Spirit from the lightning
stroke, and the son of the forest always
took refuge under the boughs of the
beech but the only protection the
Great Spirit gave to the beach tree,
was to cause other trees to grow larger
and attract the electric discharge to
themselves. AT best tree affords but
little shelter from thunderstorm and
in most cases a bush or a fence would
afford equal protection with greatly
lessened danger.
The proverbial lightning-rod man is
responsible for the loss of many lives
and much property by lightning, be-
sides cheating the sufferers out of their
money. A very large proportion of
the lightning-rods erected in the rudest
and most unsightly manner on country
houses and barns, only aid in attract
ing the deadly lightning stroke without
affording any protection to either life
or property. Good lightning rods are
very useful and in most cases will
fully protect both person and house !;
but only the best, erected by thor
oughly competent operator, who fully
understands cause and effect in dealing
with lightning, are worth anything.
They must be made of the best materi-
al they must be put up to diffuse the
electric current as soon as it reaches
the conductor they must cover every
vulnerable point, and they must end in
the earth at depth that will be cer-
tain to proffer moisture to scatter the
deadly stroke.
The present cheapness of copper
brings the best lightning conductors
within the reach of all who can afford
any protection to their buildings.
The copper wire cable is the only rod
that should be used, as each strand of
the cable presents large conducting
surface and small rod is thus equal
to much larger solid conductor. In
stead Of high rods running up at one
or two points of the roof, each vulner-
able point of building should have a
many-pronged point, and each should
connect with an encircled conductor
around the base of the roof, with two
or more escapes to the moist earth, or
into clstern. A building thus pro-
tected, will be safe from all ordinary
lightning strokes, and persons in houses
thus protected need not take the pre-
caution to shut windows and doors or
to elude drafts of damp air, as lightning
will never leave a good conductor to fly
off to bad one. 1t will come in on
currents of damp air if it can find 40
better way to reach the earth, but it
will always adhere to properly con-
structed lightning-rod unless the con-
ductor is insufficient to con-
vey the charge of electricity.
The possibility of an overcharge sug-
gests the wisdom of the copper cable
with its immense conducting surface
in small space. When in buildings
not protected by conductors, windows
and doors should be carefully closed
during thunder-storms, and inmates
should avoid proximity to chimneys,
as they are most likely to be made the
improvised conductors of an electric
discharge but being bad conductors
the charge is liable to fly off with any
moist current in other directions.
Lightning, with all its alleged freaks,
scrupulously obeys the laws of nature
and of common sense. In point of
fact, what are often published as
'freaks of lightning are no "freaks"
at all, hut simply the electric discharge
following the best currents of attract
ion within its reach. 1t is amenable
to all the laws of common sense, and
common sense precautions only are
necessary to protect life and property
from its fatal stroke.
Houses are much less exposed to
lightning than barns. Especially at
this season of the year, when the heat
ed gases from new crops invite light
ming for many yards beyond the at.
tracing power of the building itself,
unprotected barns are much exposed
to lightning, and, in most cases. the
barn is instantly enveloped in flames.
These facts emphasize the necessity of
lightning conductors for every barn
that is made the receptacle of crops
of hay and grain but if the average
perpatetic lightning rod man is allow
ed to 40 the job, as rule, he will only
expose the barn to greaCer danger than
if left without conductors.
There are intelligent and responsible
men who erect lightning rods, and
they should be sought out and employ |
ed to the exclusion of all cheap clap
trap operators engaged in the trade.
In short, farmers should exercise the
al