The Opelousas courier., 1901-12-28
HARVESTING Jovs's BOLTS.
Protection Against Lis Still a Field


for Inventors.
A severe electrical storm visited
st. Louis last week and a consider
able property damage resulted, while
several persons were more or less
seriously injured. In recent years st.
Louis seem to have become a favor
ate target for Joye's missiles, and the
frequent repetition of such disasters
has moved the. Post-Dispatch to re-
mark that it is time some steps were
taken toward the possibility of on
trolling the discharges from the artil-
lery of heaven. Our contemporary
suggests that $50 years ago Franklin
showed that lightning was nothing
more than untrapped electricity, and
that since that time no progress has
been made on the lines which he
started. 1t is argued that If Frank
lin, with his primitive apparatus,
could harness the lightning on a small
scale, modern science, with all the
resources which it has at hand, should
be able to subdue the thunderstorm.
The Post-Dispatch also calls atten-
ton to some experiments made in re-
cen years by an English scientist,
who erected tall poles about his
estate, topped with lightning rods,
and stored the electricity caught in
Leyden jars.
There seems to be no doubt, in
view OF the statistics compiled by
meteorologists, that damage from
lightning is steadily increasing in this
country. Various causes are ascribed.
Some scientists say that the destruc-
ton of the forests has resulted in an
increase in the number and severity
of electrical storms. Others say that
the Capitalization of industry result
ing in vast carnations Of steam from
every city in the country, has tended
to increase the amount of vapor in
the atmosphere ard resulted in mora
frequent storms. But whateverahe
u the fact remains. Latest fig
ures show that more than 500 people
were killed by lightning in the coun-
try last year, while the property less
ran high into the hundreds of thou
sands. OF course, as has been said,
500 people out of rs, 900, 900 is not a
great number, but the loss of that
many lives yearly from any cause
which might be removed by proper
effort is appalling to contemplate.
Moreover. the property damage is a
factor Of no small importance, and
one which cannot under present con-
ditions be entirely guarded against.
There seem to be little doubt that
science will soon be called on to take
up the question Of wholesale protec-
ton from lightning. The writer
quoted above fayors an endeavor not
only to make the lightning harmless,
but to make it the servant of man.
This is a tremendous proposition. !
Electricity has been put into service
to q remarkable degree. Today it fur
man with heat, light and pow
er. It carries his messages for him,
furnishes him quick transportation, |
cooks his dinner, lights his room. Yet
do not know what it is. No man
knows whence it comes or whittier it
goes. It's most tremendous and ter
rife demonstration is in the lightning. |
Men who attempted to follow the ex.
OF Franklin have met death as
the resul, of their temerity, and we
have no assurance that an effort to
enlarge On his ideas might not result
n disaster on q larger scale.
But the experiments Of the English
scientist spoken Of above seem to
have been entirely successful, and
appears to be no reason why
hey should not be followed On q
scale. In the cities immunity
danger might in all probability
De procured by the erection Of very
poles. equipped with proper con-
for carrying off the current
rom the clouds before it has time to
concentrate into a destructive dis
This experiment has been
ricd with success. But SO far as the
districts are concerned such
are, Of course, impossible.
And as to utilizing the electricity TAX
from the clouds in the name sug-
it would probably be not so
much a question of catching as of
on.-Louisville Courier-Jouf.
,al.