New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-06
DoDGING THE LIGHTNING.
WISE MEN DISCUSS THE VALUE OF LIGHT
NING-RODS.
PROFESSORS THOMSON. DoLBEAR. FARMER AND
ROWLAND rALK-MR. HoDGEss HETERoDox
VIEWS AS TO TIE ACTION
OF ELECTRICITY.


OF ELECTRICITY.
OF late that highly delectable class C humorous lit
erature which centres round the lightning rod end the
lightning rod agents has languished. No moro do
people read Of the pranks which the perambn'atory
seller Of sIvertpped lightning paralyzers PLAYS on inc
gentle farmer, and of the reprsas which the rusuo
buldog executes upon the next unfortunate VINO COMES
chat way defying the lightning like modern AJAX
n is difficult to say whether this disappearance OF ue
rod agent from modern literature is the result
Of an oversocking Of the lghtningrod market III inc
mast or of a growing sceptcism as to the realty Vi
the protection afforded by his wares. Certain Is
that such sceptlclsm is growing more raplaly n O'
Briggs hercsy. - ,ou
The most startling hereto in these matters how
,sr &c v n G Hodges who has recently given
otterance 10 views that could well cause frankhh 10
turn over in his grave and curse the oAy ne
personally conducted" tour Of hs"ins 49,
heaven to earth. MIR. Hodges remorseicSsN uproo's
every one Of the ancient principles OF the hsh'sO
uropaganda First he fatty denies the moseero""
tradition that the paper ghnlngrod is CONDUCTOR
species of electro sewer to tap the clouds ana uri
the exctabIe fuid off into the EARTH Then ne SWEEPS
away the assumption dear To poe's anu insIioioes
makers that the bolt" strikes do"h"dN' He e'S'
Il hits out horizontally and that its blows are siue
,riDsorss as the pucilistic small boy would put IT.
On this latter point the theory seems 10 DC th"u
when atmospheric electrical disturbances ARISE "'
,rc formed columns Of air by some eonuluons VI
temperature notion winch colunhs "i'
charged. The charge increases in tension until the
limit amounting TO about footpound of energy 10
,he cubic foot of air. IS reached when the column Oh
air coapses and the electricity PUSHES to the core OF
centre forming streak OF lightning along the me
of said core When near the earth these overchargeo
columns of air are nearly vertical that the meean
cal action of the electrical collapse is horizontal.
In his theory Of protection from Lightning Mt Hoogcs
goes back to first principles. lie starts with the gen
orally accepted explanation OF the formation Oh hehV
ming discharges, namely, that certain quabuN vi
electricity distributed over given quantity OF mist
This mist is gradually precpitated In the form OF ram
6rops The electricity is thus driven into smaller
and smaller compass. and the charge becomes dehser
until finally something lets 20 and the lightning
aashes Now says Mr.. Hodges, If the hquefactloh OF
uIrbarged vapor produces lightning dlscharse' Ie'
us reverse the process by putting some soio III lo
path of the discharge which can be vaporzed' so that
the froicsome force can thus spend its pentup energy
safely and not destroy properly: much III the same
way as the small boy works off his kicking pr0pensltes
on the Welding football the great gain and safety Oh
his mothers parlOr furniture.
SO Mr. Hodges's advice to people who fear that sht
ming mot of the Presidential Variety will strike them
u.s. buy few hundred yards OF light copper ribbon and
tack II all over your house in vertical strips. Then
If a discharge of lightning wandcrs thai way, II VIII
expend its energy in dssipating few yards OF
copper ribbon. and. then go and sin no more Mr.
Hodges has searched the records from Homer to Sir
Thompson
scrbed which fl into his theory. The Homeric Incl
dent was that of q Gecian warrior who had thin
metal covering on his shield. He forth from
q duel with the Tnnderer minus the said metallic
covering TO his shield, but otherwise unframed The
last instance was one in Scotland, In which section
of bell wire disSipated. In every such case pro
lection was afforded throughout The horizontal zone
nj tho dissipated conductor This is thought by Mr.
Hodges to prove the correctness of his theory as TO
Tie horizontal acton Of electricity, and certainly
proves that in science not in society. good results
may follow dissipation.
Leading electrical scientists. however seem 70 agree
on the main points Of the old theory of lightning rods
III response to a series of Inquiries. Professor Ehhu |
Thomson. whose is well known through the |
Thomson Houston Company expresses his views as fol-
lows
In recpr1 10 utility Dghtnngrods think there
can be question that properly constructed and ar
ranged nghtningfOd VIII afford complete projection OF
buildings from effects ef lightning discharges In
the first place. rod to the opinions
which pat forward and advocated in the
books does have considerable effect In conducting
OF schsges from the clouds silently for the reason
that me DEVELOPMENT % the conditions the discharge
IRON the cloud the cat--- is oentmes too sudden To
allow any rod effect this work OF conducton in
silent manner Tho cloud ordinarily during thunder
storms moving rauidly and the lightning strokes are
found most frequently the dcnseSt rain exists and
easy that building suddenly be denc''d
conditions for stroke brought about
such rate that ghtningfOd or rods cOuu not Wald
o. discharge By conducting what electricity exists
silently the earth. In such what is more likely
10 happen this the highly cbata,d cloud existing
OVER neehborhood Of the building provided with rod
WILL II the conditions favorable discharge itef into
the rod and the discharge carried to ground On
the reasoning it must be admitted that the presence
Of llchtnin:ro may and perhaps often co3ducc to
building being struck by lightning. but it is much
doing any than TO the risk Of having It
struck while without auy means Of conduction Of the
current to the earth except through the poorly conducting
portions Of the building. Which almost sure TO suffer
injury destruction.
In regard the query, What nat,ue Of the
electrical dischareeY would say that i1r know
1t energy the energy
Of light heat To this clear under tamd
the conditions before a discharge far as they can
When cloud in that which it
emit thundcrbots 10 common expression. 1t IS pos
Of what l. known electrical charg-h1t IS
its particles condition Of STRAIN rel3ti tie
earth OF to another cloud which strained may
relieve itself by discharge. This condition Is expressed
by saying that the cloud ia at electrical diner
ent from another cloud Just the steam In
o steam may be under considerable pressure
regards The under cloud, If the
electrical pressure the cloud is different ua. i
earth. is the thing which lesistS the Of
rent or forms as were boundary shyll-lkc the
boiler shel-for th. pressure. Should this insulating
resisting OF ain become tno thin .he pressure ia
the high The resistance wh the air
the passage Of the discharge b. by It's
containing an immense volume falling rupture Of
stratum takes place and Immediately there exists
fash Of lightning joining cloud carsh which
pi the cloud and nsures the
Of q lower pressure for time
Hence discharge OF cloud 10 earth in a lightning
simply sudden relief Of electrical pressure
which repeatedly brought about by this difference
pressure continuing during the storm There is the
cloud atmosphere raindrOps going on which
condensation accumulation Of electricity, and
this again and again brings the cloud to the condition Of
discharge and again again It may strike relieving
the difference That strikes place.
WERE splits air at point, simply indicates
line of discharge line OF the lightangssoC
axis OF disturbance which has place between the
cloud earth and 4. this line axis that the
ergy destructive effect discharge con.
centrae although must By thought
effects lightning stroke confined this path
Concerning the action OF a ghtnin g-rOd in saving a ]
from harm, this be briefly statcd
mere interpreting good conductor path OF the
hn IN .