The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-03

An unusually large number of heavy |
thunderstorms in this region and several
fatalities due to lightning within the past I
few months have caused a great deal OF
nervousness among the tinaid. and has
brought the subject Of lightning. it's dan
gers, and the methods of protection there |
from. into general public notice.
From records kept by the United States
Weather Bureau for the last nine years
it is seen that there has been eonsid-
cradle increase in the annual number of
deaths caused by lightning. IN the year
1899 there were 562 persons killed in the
United States, which surpasses the rec
ord of any previous year of which account
has been kept by the bureau. a great in
crease has been recorded also in the num-
Der of accidents caused by the electric fluid.
and from statistics of fire insurance COM
panies and others the losses resulting from
fires in buildings struck by lightning reach
an almost incredible amount
Lightning seems 80 be the least under
stood of natures forces, and many facts
crop out in the records of the bureau for
which there can be offered no explaHa-
ton. II is the unexpected that generally
happens, and this is doubIy so with cleo
r-city in the uneonfined state it occupies
the atmosphere
For instance, the records for 1899 show
that some States which had in previous
years suffered much FROM deaths ard fires
were little troubled, and those that had
experienced little tronble before had the
death roll in some cases doubled. The
State that bad the greatest number of
deaths paDpSvIVofoja with 6ftV-SIY
while Illinois is second, with a total of
forty-one.
The fatalities in the keystone State in
1898, were only twenty-three and yet in
. that year there were more thunderstorms
than in 1899. Cuba, which Is classified
with the States, has but one death record
ed This is rather peculiar when it is
generally thought that the island is a re-
gfon where short and violent storms are
Of frequent occurrence.
The largest number of fatalities occur
during the summer months, June, July, and
August, while the other months. with the
exception of May. are not marked by much
electrical disturbances OF the atmosphere.
Thunderst0rms do not seem to favor any
one part Of the country more than another
with their questionable courtesies. but one
State Will suffer severely while it's enigh-
Dor escapes lightly. OF the 562 deaths
most we're instantaneous. Forty-five per
cert occurred il the open. and laboTers on
farms were the most frequent victims.
Thirty-four per cent occirTed IN houses
which we're struck II per cent occurred
under trees, and only per cent met death
! in barns. In one case five persons were
killed at one stroke. Over half the minor
accidents that occurred during the year
were those to persons In houses that were
struck, It is supposed that the force OF
the electricity was Iessened by the non
| conductivity of the houses
Women in their anxieties over domestic
affairs seem sometimes TO have fairly
| rushed into the jaws of death. Eleven
! persons mostly women were killed while
! taking clothes from wire clothes lines.
I Trees. by some people have been re-
/ garded as safe places under which 10 seek
shelter in time of storm on account or
/ prevalent opinion that they are not often
| struck by lightning This opinion has more
| credence in that portion of the country
| where beech trees abound. for there are
/ few instances on record of the beech being
| damaged by lightning
! The elm, chestnut OAK, and pine trees
are often struck, as are all others album
dant in fatty materials and starch, such as
! the cottonwood For that reason it is con-
/ sidered good policy to plant them around a
/ house so that they viii attract the light
! ming from the structure If it should be in
/ danger.
The Oldest and the popularity sought pro-
| lection, however, is the lightning rod. OBJ
/ jectious are sometimes raised to the light
! ming rod On the ground of its great cost,
and instances ara quoted of houses being
destroyed wher Vel equipped with rods
| Dr. Lodge is que .ad on this question in the
Weather Bureaus bulletin, and says:
Almost any conductor is better than
| none. but few conductors are absolute safe
! guards. Certain habits Of lightning ro6s
| may be improved, but this is different from
>
necessary and useless. They are essential
to anything like security.
| Lightning rod men and contractors in
metal roofs and spouting commonly agree
upon the efficiency of metal roofs and
down spouts to carry of lightning pro-
vided the connection from the roof to the
ground is peFfecE. Some street-metaI work
ers have doubts of the efficiency of painted
roofs, but this is mostly thought TO be IN
important MoOted points are the shape of
the conducting rod the question of insu-
lating the rod from the house and the dis
| sipating action of points Whether trees
about house are advantageous Or other
wise in case OF a thunderstorm is also still
unsettled
Further advice is given by the Bureau
as follows:
''All barns and exposed buildings should
have lightning rods. Ordinary dwelling
| houses in city blocks have not the need
for rods, and that scattered houses in the
country, and especially If on the hiIlsides
have. Use : good iron or copper conduc-
tor, preferably in the form of tape The
best ground you can get is, after all, a
poor one for some flashes; therefore, you
cannot oyerdo the matter IN the making
of a coed ground. Bury earth plates in
damp earth or running water.
IF the conductor goes near water or gas
mains it is best to connect II to them, but
the neighborhood OF sFaali-bore- fusfble gas
pipes and indoor gas pipes should be avoid
ed. The top Of the rod should be plated
or in some way protected from corrosion
and dust, and clusters of points, or groups
of two or three along the ridge rod are
recommended. Chain or linked conductors
are of little use.
"Any part of a building. if the flash be
of certain character, may be struck
whether there is a rod on it or not, but
generally the flashes are not so intense
but that a good lightning ROD makes the
most natural path. AS lightning often falls
Unfortunately upon tree, rock or build
ing, it will make but little difference
| adjoining buildings
There are some prevalent misappreAen-
sions with regard to lightning. For exam
pie: That it never strikes twice in the
same place; that the most exposed place /.
| always struck; that few inches of glass
or few feet of air Will serve as an in.
sulator to bar the progress Of a fash thaa
has forced its way through a thousand fee
OF air.
1.-THE order of frequency of lightnins
stroke on the various soils in pereen Ia ge.
deduced from $3.50 reports is as follows
Loan, &c per cent? sand, % per cent; clay