The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-09-23

lare OF tne human family.
The following extract is taken from
the Electric World" referring to a Ger
man paper:
LIGHTNING RODS.
"An editorial giving a summary of
recent lengthy and important discussion
at a German society, the full report of
which is to be published in that journal
in the course of several weeks. The re-
suits of that discussion are considered
to be very important, giving a new in
sight to the subject; if the conclusions
are to be accepted, and it is thought
there is no mistake in accepting them,
there will be complete revolution in
the technic of the lightning rod. Form
erly it was that a lightning rod had two
functions-one preventive, consisting
in equalizing the charges of the clouds
and the earth, thereby preventing bolt
of lightning; and the other to form
path of low resistance for bolt flight
ming. Experience is said to have shown
that lightning rods have only the sec
ond function, and that there are no facts
to substantiate the belief that they have
a preventive action if this is true there
is no need of having fire points on light
ming rods nor to be very careful to keep
the resistance low, nor to have care
fully prepared earth plate; all that re-
mains necessary to do will be to have a
path from the top of the house to the
earth, which has a resistance appreciably
less than that of the building; the care
ful preparation of the joints would then
be unnecessary. The claim often made
that poor lightning rod is worse than
none, is therefore quite incorrect, as the
simplest form of lightning rod will
offer some protection. ."--Efich Zcit
June 10th.
NEEDLESS FEAR OF LIGHTNING.
Ii i usel,s to expect that anything
may say here will abolish the terro,
which so many feel for lightning storms
, yet the fear of the ti1nid may be allayed
, perhaps, by knowing few facts recent.
computed-which ought to show hoy
:. groundless is the fear, which so man
persons entertain. It will surprise tn
!, timid to know that only two hundre
deaths year occur OH a average through
out the entire country from lightning
or one person in every $4,000 people
y. Now in comparison, fifteen times a
:, many people are killed each year by fal
ing out of windows; over twice as man
:, from being bitten by rattlesnakes; Will
twenty-five per cent more killed wit
unloaded' pistols. More people al
drowned around New York City alor
d every year, than there are deaths frol
e lightning all over the country. In fat
IF more people by fifty per cent are kille
e by being kicked by horses in New Yor
W City than die from lightning throughoI
Of the United States. The casualties
Of the South show that the danger of beir
w lynched and of being killed by lightnir
r are about the same. The trolley cars
ar our cities kill far greater number
@, people than do the lightning storm
d. Trees and farm buildings f1om the
to isolated and exposed positions seem
w receive seventy-ive per cent more d
fit structive effects from lightning tn;
those of towns and cities. Now the
to are facts-are accurate and careful
We computed, and it stands the farmil
", community in hand to greatly less,
tn these figures, by the application of We
ce known preventatives,
We People living in cities are prone
-y, believe, that the increasing number (
or telephone telegraph and trolley wires
is crease the danger from electrical storm
It ONT the contrary the maze of wires i:
er protection and lessen the danger; since
an is shown that where the wires attract t
en- electricity, the wires carry it off and d
gs charge it at the end of wires in the ce
Is tral station in which are connected wi
is lightning arresters and carried down
in to the earth. The fact is that of the t.
hundred lightning accidents every ye
in only an average of forty occur in
ed cities. The trees and isolated barns a
,ir houses in the country are in far grea
ly danger; they account for the proporti
ps of four cases in the country to one in
es, city. Another mistaken notion abe
nd lightning is, that in each case eve
&C. stroke is necessarily fatal. The actl
facts in one year, only seventy-four W.
be killed-just about one-third, and it
.ly shown that all these need not ha
a proved fatal, if medical assistance h
been more quickly summoned. An elect
t stroke quite often produces a cessati
he of respiration for time, but not act1
d. death. Only year ago man in AlabaI
he was struck by lightning and carried hol
i'd as dead. While he was being prepared
ex- burial he recovered consciousness-j,
list seven hours after the stroke. An inves
cation proved that prompt medical
'e- sistance would have brought the m
so around sooner.
un Women in justice to themselves a
men to, for the matter ought to overco
ire this fear of lightning; if they CAM
IN entirely control it, they should at lie
be attempt to do so, especially when fgu
as above given, show how little r
SITS ground there is for the fear, and
he means so readily at hand for protect
nine out of ten, to life and property