The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-23

4A1 C<1L4
the electric wire in one hand, while 1
held the grounding rod in the other.
There was no discharge for a few min
utes, the current collecting behind my
rubber glove. Suddenly it broke
through and spanked across the space
between the wires, giving me a shock
that nearly threw me to the ground.
Since then l have learned that light
ming is not to be handled even with
gloves.
ARTIFICIAL LIGHTNING WHICH
BLOWS UP OIL TANKS.
'One interesting thing in this con-
nectlon, continued Mr.. Eddy, lis the
fact that an electric spark, lightning
If you will, may be generated under
thunderstorm conditions without any
discharge from the clouds, and may
cause a fire or explosion which people
are at a loss to account for. Several
times there have been mysterious ex-
ploSions among the tanks OF the Stand
ara OIL company's great establishment
at Constable Hook VIXEN it was certain
that no fire reached the explosive gas
in the tanks by any ordinary means.
In most OF these cases l am convinced
that the accident is caused by an cleo
the tanks under thunderstorm condi-
dions. The oil is pumped into the tanks
through steel tube with rubber joints.
This rubber acts as an insulator and
the oil passing inside forms an excellent
conductor. the electric force generated
and stored up in the steel tune as the
oil passes through flashes off at the
end of the tube in an electric spark
which ignites the explosive gases.
That at least is my theory. don't sup
pose that any one ever watched the
actual occurrence. Oil tanks are often
artlficially protected, too, by the oil
which gathers round their sides and
soaks into the earth, forming a good
conductor to carry off the electricity"
To sum up in word the fact which
Mr.. Lodge and his followers have la
bored long and earnestly TO bring out is
that the old theory of protection from
lightning by attracting it and afford
ing it safe channel through which TO
pass into the earth is in error The cor
rect method, as they have proved, is
based on the bird cage" or meat
safe principle of dispensing the cleo
trio current through number Of
separate channels:
''Will lightning ever be so controlled
as to be put to use by man in produc-
ing motion?" Mr.. Eddy was asked.
Il won't undertake to answer that
cautiously, but if you mean to ask
whether lightning will ever drag our
trolley cars, for example, / think not,
and for this reason. 1t has been COM
puted that the destructive force of an
average lightning flash is equal to the
dropping of 70-pound weight mile
and a quarter. Now if you drop 20
pounds a mile, it is likely to do a lot
of damage to whatever it strikes, but
if you suspend it by a pulley at that
hight it won't be able to draw a troll
ley car. That illustrates the point as
we'll as anything can think Of
Isn't there danger in sending a wire
up among the clouds as you do in your
experimentS?'
When 1 first began my work 1 was a
bit shaky about it myself, and pro-
ceeded cautiously. 1 remember that |
Chanute, the French engineer and |
aerial expert, who visited me, said: |
My dear fellow, you must give it up
1t will kill you. We have had too many |
accidents of that kind in France al |
ready But, although l have occa-
sionally received slight shocks, 1 have /
never been seriously injured. 1 have a |
theory that 1 am in no great danger, |
for my line draws off the current |
gradually, and if the cloud becomes |
suddenly overcharged the current is |
just as likely to break through at some |
other point as at the spot where my
wire is extended. The greatest danger
can think of would be in case & cloud
high in the air discharged its current
to one below, and from there to the /
earth. Then if l happened TO be in the
way I'd be likely to suffer. However
[ have never been foolhardy, and do /
not try to send UP my collector when
an electric storm is at hand. OF course,
as I say, this is my theory. 1t may be
wrong, and if so, I'll probably find il
1ut some day. Then III have to revise
The theory, as many an experimenter
had his, before my time. Rather l
should say the theory will have to be
revised, for in that case, 1 don't sup
pose that 1 shall be on hand to do it,
and the bold experimenter smiled a
pleasant good day.
EARL MAYO.