The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-20
SOME FACTS AS TO LIGHTNING.
Interesting Experiments Made at the
Washington Monument.

Interesting Experiments Made at the
Washington Monument.
Washington Special in New York Tribune.
A series of interesting experiments has
been conducted by the weather bureau
upon the Washington monument. which,
standing 555 feet high, in the center of fiat,
well watered ground. constitutes most
lightning on June 5. 1885, which suggested
that measures be taken for
it's safety. A committee of
scientific men was appointed to
Investigate the subject 1t reported in ia
vor of erecting rods. and there are now
four copper conductors running from the
top of the monument into pit or well fif-
teen feet below the bottom of the masonry
foundation, in which there is permanently
two feet and eight inches of water. They
are also connected with each other by
means of copper rods, and are studded at
every five feet of their length and tipped
with platinum.
Since this protection was placed upon
the monument it has not suffered any
damage, although the lightning plays
around it every time there Is a thunder
Meade, the lightning expert of the wealth
er bureau, has camera constantly
trained upon it, so as to make negatives
of the flashes as they occur. A second
camera at Fort Myer a signal service sta
ton on the Virginia side of the Potomac,
and third on the roof of the House wing
of the Capitol are used for a similar pur-
pose. The distance between each of the
cameras and the monument has been ac-
curately ascertained, and the photographs
are used for the purpose of determining
the true direction of the flashes, and meas
uring their intensity and velocity The di-
rection of the flashes can be determined,
the photographs taken from the three
points Of view, and the measurements are
made by triangulation. The electric en-
ergy, that is, the horse power of an cleo
trio current can thus be obtained. which
will be useful in treating the problem of
protection against lightning from scien-
tifc point of view.
Mr.. Meade has invented an instrument
by which lightning flashes may be antici-
pated. While studying atmospheric con-
ditions at the top of the Washington mon
ument in a thunderstorm he noticed the
effect of the air Immediately preceding
lightning flash upon stream of water
Issuing from the nozzle of collector
When charged with electricity air will
stand a strain of one and three-tenths
POUNDS per square loot before splitting
and a lightning flash is nothing more nor
less than the splitting of the air by cleo
tricitys AS the atmospheric atmosphere
becomes intepses the water escaping from
the nozzle of the collector fell in sprays
until after the flash of lightning, when
the pressure was relieved and the stream
recovered its normal condition and pro-
portion. This discovery suggested to Mr..
McAdie an instrument to foretell the APP
proach of lightning, which has been
found to be successful ana accurate in a
number of experiments.
The weather bureau advises those who
are in the neighborhood of persons struck
by lightning to make immediate efforts
to restore, consciousness, because the
effect of lightning is to suspend animation
rather than produce DEATH Respiration
and circulation should be stimulated.
and the usual remedies for relief in such
cases should be administered at least for
an hour before giving up the victim as
dead.