The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-06
LIGHTNING RODS.
Their Value and the Harm or Good
that Comes from them.

Their Value and the Harm or Good
that Comes from them.
Lightning rods are going out of use. Whyf
Because they are not believed to be the protec-
tion that it was once thought they were" This
was what an electrician once told reporter.
Fifteen years ago the lightning rod agent was
everywhere in the land, and more especially at
every farmers door To-day il is claimed, their
number has materially decreased and farmers
are disseminating the use of them.
what is your opinion upon the subject or
lightning rodsf' was asked of Chief walker OF
the Pittsburg city electrical department by
Despatch reporter
''Canddly, in nine cases out of ten, he re-
piled, II think they are humbugs. l believe 1T
is fact that more barns are struck and burned
tfat have lightning rods on than off In the first
place it is best 10 keep electricity as far away
from the building as possible The object OF
the lightning rod is to attract IL. The rod is
supposed to act as a conductor of the electrical
current to the earth, but instead OF being car
ried Off the current in consequence or faulty
construction of the rod or attachments, is tre-
quently switched into the building. The end OF
the wire is supposed to be buried in moist
earth the moisture acting as good conductor
Without strict attention the iron becomes oxl-
died and rusts off, and then the rod is worse
than nothing IL is a positive danger under
such circumstances, attracting the electricity
of the atmosphere and having no
adequate outlet for it, Then, again, the
same danger arises when The 1nSulaUOrS upon Une
sides of the building become defective. The
lightning is attracted from the atmosphere,
where il might have remained but for the roo
and is turned loose against the building on its
way to the earth. If, for instance, the attach
ments on a barn are poor or worn out, the cur
rent may be detected and fire set to the build
ing. This is no uncommon occurrence. In tnlS
city some years ago the lightning rod on the
Belmont water works was struck and it fused
The current flowed on down and played about
the machinery in the livcliest kind of a way.
big stone was Knocked off the Washington mon
ulnent by lightning. When the ground contact
is good and the lightning is about to strike a
building a rod may be Of use, but / think the
rods do more harm than good. There was
time when farmers were scared into roddng
their barns and houses but think they are get
ting over that"
An entirely different view was taken by a
lightning rod manufactures, who is one of the
largest producers of the article in the United
States.
mo, - said he, lit is not true that the demand
for the rods is falling off The business this
spring is not quite SO lively as at this time last
year, but the season is little late. 1t is all
nonsense 30 deny the value of lightning rods as
protection for buildings. l think that has
been established long ago. Electricians may
theorize upon the subject, but that does not
count much against the practical test of their
utility. Much of the prejudice existing against
the rods is due to the poor workmanship in
setting them up. In such cases the rods get the
blame very unjustly.
Every man knows the principle on which a
lightning cd works. 1t is composed of iron
or copper or a combination of both these
metals. They are good conductors of the cleo
tric current and draw it down to the earth when
it co ues dangerously close to a building There
are about forty varieties of the rod, the copper
being the best, as that metal Is the best con
ductOr. Here is another cause for prejudice
against the rods man puts up the rod at the
end of the barn, for instance takes no care of it
whatever and then expects that one rod to
watch over the entire heavens for him. To Sc
cure protection for large structure there should
be Circuit of lightning rods, all connecting
and all with good ground contact in moist earth
Destroy the condition of anything good and you
wipe out its effectiveness. 1t is fact first-class
architects in this city include in their plans the
lightning rod circuit. The agents are not con
nected with the manufacturers other than as
purchasers of the rods their own account
Glass was formerly used exclusively as an insUl-
lAtOr, but now we fasten the ends to the sides of
buildings with iron clamps Great care is ex-
ercsed in the manufacture of the rods and
they are made in the most scientific manner
possible"