New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-16
SAFETY FROM LIGHTNING.
SOME SUGGESTIONS AS TO PROTECTION
ON LAND AND SEA
HOW CONDUCTORS SHOULD BE PUT Up TO IN
SURE IMMUNITY FROM DANGER

At this season OF the year there are frequent ac-
In the papers Of houses destroyed and lives
lost by lightning. 1t would seem that everybody
ought to know how to guard his house against de-
structon In this manner. for IT is easier protect
house against lightning than against rain. snow
or fire; but there many crude ideas the sub
ject The theory of 1t is simple. On its way TO
the earth. lightning will follow conductor as far
as possible II a good conductor be provided. the
lightning Will follow It, the path OF least resist
ance. All metals are good conductors. but for prac
teal use galvanized iron, copper, brass or bronze
Is 10 be preferred. Experiments made by scen-
tinc men. and, partly at least. confirmed by the
perience Of telegraph men. seem to show that for
discharges of oscillating character. Ike light
ming, iron Is the best conductor, although for the
commercial Of electricity copper possesses
about seven times its conductivity. Copper will in
many cases. however. be preferred for lightning
rods account Of It's non-corrosive qualities. al
though in country places galvanized iron will last
lifetime
The lightning discharge Is so sudden and its oscil-
latons rapid that 1t cannot penetrate far be-
meath the surface Of its conductor Therefore in
selecting a lightning rod, give the preference the
one having the most surface Thus a strip of tin
two inches wide is Just efficient rod Of one
and a quarter inches In diameter, though
there is great deal more metal in the latter
A discharge of lightning frequently melts the
grounded. there is frequently explosion at tho
lower end. When 1t leaps from one mass of metal
to another one or both metals may be fused at
the place of entering and leaving Numerous points
on a conductor tend to scatter the discharge and
assist in Its silent dispersion II the points OF
lightning-rod were tested upon the approach Of
storm. they would he found bristling with charges
of electricity pushing and working its way through
the air and only when it accumuates rapidly
that IL can no longer be carried off In this manner
there lightning discharges This is also true OF
electrical discharges from trees. houses and other
Objects but nonconductors like cd. stone. brick
air, can carry only minute qua entities of cleo
tricity naturally and when they compelled TO
carry large amount there is an explosion of gases
caused by the intense heat which opposition TO the
electric current always creates
If even a small wire could he carried from the
earth 20 the clouds. all lightning discharges would
be confined to its upper end; and account Of the
rapidly with which they could be carried off would
be very feeble. If, therefore. good path is pro-
vided for these silent discharges there is little heat
created, and consequently no danger
A chimney is good mark for lightning on ac-
count Of the of heated air which is likely TO
be rising from it. The SCOT on the inside is also a
fair conductor. which has tendency 10 carry the
electric current into the interior of the house. In
many cases a wire from the foot Of the stove
to the ground would prevent lightning from scat
tering through the kitchen, as 1t often does when
the stove forms the lower end OF a good conductor
Properly grounded. a stove and sheet-iron pipe
would afford a most efficient means of protection
instead of a menace.
Trees surrounding n house afford a fair measure
of protection, but are not to be relied upon. IN
this case however n barbed wire passing directly
over the house and five ten feet above II, eX-
tending from tree TO tree and grounded at each
end. should make efficient lightning arrester
To protect haystacks. tents or other temporary
structures, up two light poles, each side
bring a barbed wire across the stacks, about ten
feet above them and connect 1t with the earth on
each side
In grounding conductor care should be taken
to get down to moist earth if possible but If the
ground is hard and dry 1t should be sunk below
the cellar at least. Cases have been known where
lightning broke away from the end of a conductor
into a cellar. because this precaution was not OBJ
served Charcoal coke placed in the ground
around the conductor only keeps it from corro-
sion. but It amounts 10 practical increase in the
OF the ground contact.
A conductor should be fastened to the side or the
house and lead straight from the roof to the
ground possible. A good plan Is 10 have II d.
least two separate leads to the ground at opposite
sides or ends Of the house This divides the dis
ter ground contact. Where practicable. all the
conductors a building should be connected to-
whatever. When lightning has leaped a mile, per-
haps through the air It cannot be insulated by
one and half inches wide. nailed TO the corner OF
the house, makes the best conductor II there are
their highest point 10 the conductor by means OF
heavy wire we'll connected to both the pipes and
conductor This will prevent lightning from tear
ing the wall down II II should happen to leave the
rod and come inside. as 1t sometimes does
Electric light or telephone wires do not contrib
ute 10 the danger from lightning. but II is well 20
keep away from telephone during ~, thunder M der
holding a receiver at such time; ana while sucn
shocks rarely fatal. they are decidedly un-
Persons riding in trolley-cars are safe in a thun-
ductors: and while the controller. fusebox or motor
is often burned out the lightning Will not leave
Nevertheless few hints TO motormen may not be
among them that shutting off the current in a
thunderstorm or opening the overheard switch les
sens the danger. on the contrary, 1t Increases H.
current would go through the contact points AMI
the arrester without doing any damage beyond,
mrn. hit r. the Controller is off the discharge must
lump the space between the fingers ana contact
witch perhaYs ali but destroys IT, and is followed
by the trolley current. which makes still more mis-
chief Not only this. but part of the discharge ow-
is shunted into the lamp circuit, and though the
passengers are in no danger. they are. neverthe-
less alarmed by the sensational display that al
ways accompanies electricity when II goes wrong
nln precantons will suffice Most vessels now
rugged with steel wire cables up at least TO their
topmasts. but the topmast Is often entirely unpro-
fected by any metal conductors, the result beingas
has happened several times this season, that the
bolt skaters the mast until II meets good con-
ductor Che wire ropes. when its evil work ceases,
provided there is any metallic connection from
their lower end to the water II this should not pc
The case however, the lightning may go down the
outside of the vessel. leaving its mark, or II may
tump across the deck and Kill man or TWO ,
A copper strip two inches wide should be nailed
the length Of this topmast and turned over the top
so as to be In less perfect contact WIN tne
pennant rod: strip Of copper or any other metal metal
should also be nailed from the ring on the main,
mast IN which the steel cables fastened ana
should be brought the ton Sc that IT'S edges
touch or least come close 10, the STRIP on inc
tonmast This will give the lightning such short
snacc 10 lump that. II the two metals are not
IN contact IL will not penetrate the wood. III the
stool rones at the lower end are not n metallic
connection with the water. nail strip or copper
down TO IT, DO this for each mast II there are no
wv. Ill. ula All