The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-21
Lightt:nliilnr,j 2 Rods.

Il 319-320 gal Ions aof wine. s3 81,
Lightning Rods. a
Editor OF Tho Times Dispatch: 85 VA
N5 sir.--I have Just noticed In the query
column OF your issue OF August IL the
following ss3Ss ss$
rs It SAT 10 have lightning rods t-EE
itached to the house without using glass
Sinsulators at the point Of 7attacnment?,'5s
Irs8 replying to- this query you state
that 1t is not Please & I've m Gs spa ce to
correct this erroneous idc !, which I be-
Elieve is prevalent In almost every sec
tion of the country. &
IS When lightning rods were first intro. q
dlccd, and, II "a ct. until 4. q very few
years ago, y t was. SaR YOU st te thought
sunwise to install 4 them wit follt the use,
OF glass insuators. However, til e en- \
gineers have thoroughly Investigated the
subject. and It, Is now a we'll establish.
ed 4 fact that all lightning rods installed
TO protect property from lightning dis.
ed to the building a every possible point;
This is especially true II the building Is
covered with tin or OF her metal Y inS5which9
case the lightning II rod should be per-;
l!manently connected to the root. u sSf. 4 5$
l5}$ In II a thunder 81 orm, the clouds are
charged very highly a above the potential;
of the earth, and & In the forts Of the
current Of lectriclty3 to reach he ca rthl
ana thus equalize itself, we have the
find that two clouds are heayi ly# charge
but In opposite polarlt and s,lct,
case we will have a very heavy discharsa
from cloud to cloud. but not to the earth
consequently, property and lie IA re not
! IN any danger from such cfarges.s
In discharges from cloud n to earth
(which are the ones against which we
ratN&k
electricity will al ways follow the patti Of
| least resistance and ms the al r Is "a very
l9hlghs insulator II will usually. strlk some
object such as a high church tower,
|Schlmney or tall tree, and thus reach the
Hearth by this. means, instead OF dis chars-l
ling through the ALI, 81 .ss
The difference In tempera ture5 OF the
different currents of air exert a. great
Influence upon the pa tn Of a: lightning
LIND In a number OF cases that the dis.
charge will strikes some other portion Of
1.-The building instead If OF the lightning
rod n thus II the lightning rod was finsli-
Hated from the building. the c!lrrent would
follow the building TO he earth with v!
perhaps DISASTROUS results. Will II the
iSrod was permanently B connected to the
lIdlfferent portions, asof the building the
current would pass to the rod and thence
Ito the ground wi til perhaps no dam &c,
III The most important point about the
Installation OF a lightning rod lis to u :
sure sufficient ground lions, Many
ISpeople II seem to think. that all that is
Is that the lightning rod should
merely reach the ground q, This. however f'
Els al, errme sous ldea, and In install tton
l3of a lighning rod, too much stress cam
not be laid upon sufficient ground con-
ctions. Az pit OF approxima ely four
feet square rould be i d. IL 4 to sun lcient
depth to always insure moist earth Over
the bottom Of this pit should be placed
about 8 or 10 inches OF char coal or some
similar subs lance which VIII hold water :, J,
| This charcoal should then be tllorough ny
/ wet, and a large metal place, pref era bly,
4 Of copper, to which the end OF the " int
ming rod Ia n perm anently connected.
i should be placed on this bed OF cha rcoal
and a similar layer Of cha rcoal Spla ced On
top Of this pla te and, al ter bel thoro n
i sly saturated Will, wa ter, the pt can 10
filed This srolnd eonnee1ion z aecia
gstallation, for through this connectl l
the lightning discharges are conducteo
4 to the 8ea rth.s a. q lb2
Another point, which should be taken
Unto Consideration, Ia the fact q hat tne
Il tips on the rods Should be coVared VII
some nqn corrosive me SO ~ .t - y
4 will not tarnish from the eff Gets OF : ne
L weather Ss 4s9 81
lightning rods have Fl many cases
|heen abused, and to al appea raI ces "a ye
i served no purpose wlla tey his q use
should not be too harsh, for IN ~ ny NJ
her OF cases a. properly Unstable ligntnltnE
rod will conduct to the earth electrical
charges which have gathered but nave
been carried off by means of the ROD pc
d fore a discharge could TAX Mace thus ,li,
a In a quiet way have prevented q ~ hal
4 otherwise might have been a. very seflou
stroke. yss 4.
j Very truly yours.
4 n rs p, r, Il WALLER,
J, The restriction that salmon may no
s ern Alaska until after July /, of eacl
/ 5Ycar, has been removed and In; view q