The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1900-08-01
Does Lightning Go Up or Down or
Both Waysl


When the spire of the NJ. f. church
was struck by lightning some time ago
discussion arose as to whether the elec-
trio fluid passed up or down. While
some favored the former view there were
others who claimed that the current never
passed up but always down. To settle
the discussion the whole matter was re-
ferred TO the Scientific American, New
York, which is authority on all things
scientific. Following is the answer pub
lished in last weeks issue of that journal
which we reproduce as a matter OF inter-
est to our many readers:
~. V. McA. writes: There was
heavy cloud and downpour of rain ac-
companied by sharp lightning during
which the Methodist Episcopal church
was struck and somewhat damaged in its
spire. The point of the spire is about 80
feet from the ground and covered with
case of sheet iron. There is no metallic
| connection with the ground. Directly
under the spire and running half way
up is gas pipe. Three men were work
ing in the church and were unharmed,
although two of them were very close TO
the pipe, one of them not more than Is
inches away. They saw an explosion at
a brass fitting which was exposed, but
!elt no shock. The shingles with which
the spire was sided were knocked off all
along the one side and at the top where
the shingles extended under the sheet
iron cap, it looked as if the lightning had
gone up instead of down. There was a
terrific crash which, to some, seemed to
ha af a iQfo frnT ha
and to have been more severe than the
one which struck the church. Could it
have been that the cloud was charged
positively and the earth negatively, and
the restoration of the equilibrium, after
the discharge, have caused the fluid 10
run up the spire and so have caused this
damage? Some of us think so, as so
many things SO m to point that way.
Does electricity ever do dam age in rising
from the ground?
IA. We do not know that the electric
discharge takes place from positive to
negative. 1t is conventional to regard it
as doing so. Thompson says: "No exact
evidence exists as to the direction in
which the current in awire really flows"
Many people see the lightning go up
from the earth to the cloud rather than
down. Since the flash lasts but the mi
mute fraction of a second, the eye cannot
determine the direction of the motion.
We must consider that the impression OF
downward motion is subjective, and is
due to the fact that a downward flew ID
more natural to us. In clear weather the
atmosphere is usually plus to the earth.
One observer found it minus but six
times in fifteen years. But in stormy
weather the sign changes very capricous-
ly and frequently. In thunder storms
the change is still more rapid, so that it ia
impossible to say whether the cloud al
the moment of this flash was positive oil
negative to the eartlI, or whether the fiasf
went up or down. 1t may have gone in
either direction, or more probably il
surged back and forth many times while
the flash lasted. The description shows
that the gas pipe was not in the path o.
the discharge. By induction it became
charged with electricity, which mad the
flashes seen by the "orkmen at the same
moment that the fash from the cloud
passed by. All pointed objects under 8
thunder cloud become charged with elec.
tricity, and discharge it up toward the
cloud, in streams which in the dark can
be seen as brushes of light. This is SIM
liar to the brushes seen upon the points
OF an electric machine when 1t is working
in the dark. One may see these brushes
if near the top of lightning rod when q
shower is rising. This is what the mer
in the church saw on an intensified scale
because the grand discharge was goine
on so near the gas pipe. From what ha'
been shown it is clear that discharge o
lightning will do equal damage in which
ever direction it goes 1t is the discharge
which does the damage and not any sec
ondary restoration of equilibrium. Th'
supposition of secondary reaction is no
necessary.