Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-08-23
QUESTION OF PROTECTION BY
RODS vARIouSLY CONSIDERED.
OPINIONS DIFFER GREATLY
United States Weather Bureau De-
clares For Them, and Holds That
All Exposed Buildings Should be
Supplied-Local Hardware Men
Have Little Faith in Them.

Death from USntnlnS anu the ue-
struction of property by electric bolts
have raised the question in many To-
calities as to the best means of pro-
lection and few questions have been
so thoroughly discussed from practical
as well as theoretical standpoints as
the certainty or uncertainty of the
protection to buildings by properly
constructed lightning rods. Owing to
the great difficulties of experimenting
with lightning, the question of the de-
gree of protection afforded by light
ming rods is an open one, but the gen.
eral opinion of metal workers and
lightning rod constructors confirms
the belief in some avenue OF escape for
the lightning. 1t is supposed by some
that the lightning rod is decreasing in
favor, but this is not confirmed BY
| either scientists or practical con-
structor..
A strong authority upon the question
OF lightning rods, says
almost any conductor is better than
none, but few conductors are absolute
| safeguards. Certain habits of light
ming rods may be improved, but this is
different from the contention that
lightning rods are unnecessary and
useless. They are essential to any
thing 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 off lightning,
provided the connection from the roof
to the ground is perfect. Some sheet
metal workers have doubts of the eff
ficiency of painted roofs, but this
is mostly thought to be unimportant.
Mooted points are the shape of the con-
Quoting rod, the question of insulating
the rod from the house and the dis
sipating action of points Whether
trees about house are advantageous
or otherwise in case of thunder
storm is also still unsettled.
The United States weather bureau.
in an article upon Lightning and the
Electricity of the Air. publishes the
following directions:
"All barns and exposed buildings
should have lightning rods. Ordinary
dwelling houses in city blocks have
not the need of rods, but scattered
houses in the country, and especially
If on hihsides, have. Use a good iron
or copper conductor, preferably in the
form of tape. The best ground you
can get is, after all, poor one for
some flashes; therefore, you cannot
overdo the matter in the making of a
good ground. Bury earth plates in
| damp earth or running water.
eff the conductor goes near water or
gas mains it is best to connect it to !
them, but the neighborhood of small
bore fusible gas pipes and indoor gas
pipes should be avoided The top Of
the rod should be plated or in some
way protected from corrosion and
dust, and clusters of points, or groups
of 2 or 8 along the ridge rod are
recommended. Chain or linked con-
ductors 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 good lightning
rod makes the most natural path As
lightning often falls indiscriminately
upon tree, rock or building, it will
make but little difference sometimes
whether trees are higher than adjoin-
ing buildings.
"Theri are some prevalent misap-
prehensions with regard to lightning
For example: That it never strikes
twice in the same place; that the most
exposed place is always struck; that a
few inches of glass or a few feet of air
will serve as an insulator to bar the
progress of a fash that has forced its
way through thousand feet of air.
THE order of frequency OF ligntning
stroke on the various soils in percen-
tages deduced from $50 reports is as
follows: Loan, 26 per cent; sand, "a
per cent; clay, 10 per cent; prairie,
10 per cent; scattering, IL per cent.
Lightning often strikes the elm,
chestnut, oak and pine tree, bu, rarely
the beech. Trees deficient in fatty
materials during the thunderstorm
season and those rich in starch are
preferred by lightning. Certain trees,
therefore, found to be good conductors,
should be planted around the home and
outbuildings as form of lightning
rod and these should be avoided as a
refuge In time of thunderstorms"
A lightning rod agent, speaking upon
the subject said: Lightning rods
should be placed upon country houses
and tall buildings in the city. An
implanted metal roof with down
spouting and good connection through
out is sufficient, provided the highest :
points, as the chimneys, for instance,
are also coppered. I do not think
painted roofs will do as we'll"
When asked as to the danger OF
trees about building he said he con-
sidered them an element of danger
He denied that the lightning rod is
losing favor.
W. o. Stephenson of the firm of
Stephenson & Studeman expressed
little faith in the efficacy of lightning
rods. They are going out OF use, he
said. aud 1t is well they should. He
believed a good metal roof with proper
gutter connection was by far the /