Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-07-03
The Best Way to Ward OF Light
ming.
baltimore Sun

| Baltimore Sun.
| Prof. II. a. Rowland, OF the Johns Hop
kins Univ ersity, in an interview gave some
interesting facts in the development of
the stGdy of lightning aud lightning
conductors. DR.. Rowland said "Recent
scientific study has swept away some Of
the old notions about conductors. The
method now considered the best TO. the
protection Of buildings IS to provide a
metal roof with an ample number OF
metal conductors leading to the ground,
which will receive and carry off the
electric bolts from the clouds. Copper is
the best material, but tin or iron will an
swer the purpose, and always suggest
the placing of the conductors at the
corners of building, so that all parts
will be equally protected.
"Thongh rods may be used, rain spouts
will answer the purpose equally WE'LL
The physical laboratory of the Johns
Hopkins University is protected from
| lightning by the roof and sp0utlng. You
can safely class all patented lightning
rods as being of little value beyond con-
ducting rods that any man can put up
himself because the simple principle
underlying all IS that the lightning will
largely adopted in the erection of light
ming rods. that a small band of glass will
nreyent the electric current from passing
TO a better adjacent conductor, seems
playfnl. While it Is trHe that Lightning
is attracted to an elevated point or angle,
when you cast your eyes over city like
Baltimore and see the large number of
such points and angles, the use OF pointed
rods fades into insignificance as compared
with the method of roofing with good
conductor. This was we'll illustrated by
the incident of lightning striking the
great monument in Washington several
years ago. The monument is capped
with n piece of aluminium which has
metallic connection with the ground by
means of the iron work of the interior,
but the lightning did not strike the top
of the cap. 1t descended to some copper
fixed in tho side of the pyramidal top,
some distance from the apex, burst a
portion of the stone, and, running along
the copper into the interior, leaped with
ont anv metallic connection to the iron
framew ork and passed to the ground
A framework OF copper rods covering the
angles and crossing the sides of the i'm
mense cap was recommended at that time
for .the future protection of the monu-
ment and has probably been constructed.
The ground connection was to be through
the interior iron work spoken of. Some
what similar to these methods is that of
the Peabody Library. The iron shelving
connected with the metallic roof, and
resting on a stone foundation which
might be shattered by stroke of light
ming, has been connected with the ground
by metal conductors, and no danger from
lightning is apprchended.
"Ligtning has no fixed portion OF force
and is capable OF doing May strange
things volt may be rated as equivalent
to the pressure of an electrical door be IT,"
In speaking of places of safety during
an electrical storm DR.. Rowland said that
probably as safe PLACE as any other
would be an iron hedstead, provided the
ground connection is perfect, this being
in line with the above theory, that the
lightning would follow the best conduc-
tor