Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-11

A.. 'et - nus lightly over the COM
uuctor and wrap a short niec, ~ ,siro
around both It and the condnctor MA
possible, solder it. This Will MAKE rnrc
" contact at very imDortapt uoi,,,
me Top OF these rods should have Mt lone.
three POINTS and can be painted or s,Ild.i
ns ueslredi or, II preferred. can he mnde
.,'o Weather Nanes. mounted with rooster,t
VI ahyshing you please. n you have on
TO the house splice another c1ndurtnr
on your main one at The polnt ne,rsst
me L. and carry II down 10 the nenI, ~
mo lower roof to the end and .,frou,,i,,
ms conductor as before.
II you are obliged to mike Joints he
cAretul TO see that they are well made
anu III going down for your ''ground''
1,, sure TO ret below your cellar floot.
ptnefWlse stroke may break YOUR cellar
wall Such cases have been known.
Another conductor which is almost ns
cheap as the steel cable mentioned
above, cosists OF sheet copper cut into
STRIPS one and one-half inches m width.
with the ends rivetted and soldered to-
Eether' II possesses the advantage of
large surface, Is not conspicuous. can no
painted the same color as tho house
ana Is easily adjusted. Use short tinncn
nails for putting It mp II Is not ncres-
sary to use insulRtors to keep the con-
ductor away from tht building. That
idea was long ago exploded.
CHURCH SPIRES AND CHIAtNEYs.
A tall church spire or very tall chimney
requires special protection, aud The ,oi,-
ductor should be much heavier than TINT
mentioned above Special pains should
also be taken with the ground cot,ne.-
items, which should be put down M lopst
ten feet. Church towers receive VERY
heavy discharges, therefore. tile tower
conductor should come straigh, to tho
Bround. hut the conductors on the main
peak OF the roof should also be connected
TO II In order to divide the circuit and
lessen the danger. Points should be
placed ON every smaller tower and COM
nected with the main one
II sometimes happens that cvtn a
church tewcr is well protected by acct
dent case Of this kind came 10 my
notice last year. The splre was an octa
Eon shingled with slate At each OF the
eight corners was head OF galvanized
sheet iron. Around the base and about
fifteen feet above the main roof WAS a
cutter with waste pipes connected with
the main roof which was Of tin. The roof
IN turn, was connected by means Of
Its waste pipes TO the sewer At the
apex Of the tower was large wooden
ball upon which stood cross covered
with copper. The only work to be done
was 10 bring wires from the base OF
the cross to the beading on the church
ground was complete
one source OF danger in dwellings is
the kitchen stove. Heated currents OF
air rising from chimney affords much
easier path for the lightning than the cold
air surrounding it. This is why so many
chlmneys are struck. and so many per-
sons are Killed while sitting near tile
stove. Very few persons appear to have
thought Of running a wire from under the
feet OF the stove into the ground or con-
Meeting 1t to the lightning rod outside.
This would at least keen the lightning
from scattering when II gets TO the stove
and killing the family. II there Is no
cellar under your house run your wire
straight Into the ground.
TO PROTECT HAYsrACKs.
To protect haystaclts or temporary
structures, stick pole into the ground
on either side and run barbed wire from
one to the other. brnHnHg 1t down ana
into the ground at each end. Two "a
three feet IN the ground will be enough
In this case.
Nearly every summer we hear or state
miltiamen being killed In camp by light
ming. II is commonly supposed that the
guns draw the lightning, IT Is, however
more likely the heated air arising from
camp fires or from the bodies of so many
men in one place. II would not be a great
deal OF trouble TO set numebr OF poles
around and through the camp at dis,
tances OF seventy live or 100 feet. These |
with a telegraph wire extending along the |
side OF each, and a foot above 1t into |
the air. and two or three feet into the
ground, would form an excellent protec- |
ton. To make doubly sure a light tele- |
phone wire might be used to connect them |
all together at the top.
The chances that a man walking along |
the street will be killed by lightning are |
A great deal less than the chances OF get |
ling hit by stray bullet. In an open |
Held the chances are somewhat greater |
and IL on horseback. greater still,
II YOU should take shelter under u tree
zee that the trunk or branches are not
iecayed and II he lightning seems TO be
n your neighborhood, keep two or three
'eet away from the trunk. no matter how
green II is.
Keep out of stables unlops they are well
As to fiat houses In New
York, one floor is as safe as another, and
III are safe II the most ordinary precau-
ion in protecting the chimneys Is taken.
SAFE IN A TROLLEY CAR
I am often asked as to the safety Of
persons in trolley car during thunder
torn. 1t is well to remember that light
ling will not often leave good conductor
md that wood. brick or animal bodies are
,oor conductors.
when lightning strikes a trolley wire
goes to the ground as soon MS possible.
II car should be in It's immediate Vi.
Unity, say two or three miles. 1t would
70 20 the ground by way OF the trolley
,ole, otherwise It wodld be worked of
m the span wires and poles II 1t should
ono down the trolley 1t follows the wire
o the forward end OF the car, through
he controller box, where It often burma
MT fuse. thence to the iron frame OF tho
ar truck; thence to the ground
Sometimes II takes In the motor and
urns out the Insulation OF the windings
Z the motorman should have his hand
n the controller handle. and he generally !
as. he might, II the fash is a severe
ne. receive a shock But It would not
ften be serious. as hia body only
stunts n very small portion OF the
urrent. The passengers are always safe.
We sometimes hear OF passengers be- .
IL shocked, stunned or scared to death,
vi Investigation always shows that such
eports ere due either TO the Imagination
Z the passengers or the highly electrified
OF the reporters mind. Nearly
II electrical workers can tell lanehable
tories Of the efrect that slight shock
/. an unusual electrical display has upon
he minds OF some people. As 70 the mo-
1rman In the above ease. he should have
small rubber mat to stand on when the ,
seem to be getting share. THIS
IN keep him from direct contact win
otis or nails that connect with the car
ranae and may save him from severe