The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-20
LIGHTNING HAVOC GROWING.
MOTE OF WARNING SOUNDED BY
3ss AN EXPERT.
~ ". spang Blsmes Unscientinc Arohitec'
tire and Electric Engineering for an
II Increase In Number Of Fires Caused
VI by Lightning Remedies suggested.

tire and Electric Engineering for an
gs increase In Number Of Fires Caused
W. by NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. suggested.
a. W. spang Of this city. an expert on the
sabject Of lightning protection, believes
i that the danger TO buildings from lightning
& = increasing To Sun reporter he said
the othsr day:
~ sThere u no subject which is more I'M
perfectly undsrstood and upon which more
nonsense has been written than the light
& ming discharge. This L. principally due
10 the fact that the lightning theories OF
4 FAzaday, Lodge and other scientists. which
have generally been accepted. are based
solely upon laboratory electrical expert
msnts, which are not at all analogous to the
/ hehtning discharge.
n The ordinary Leyden jar electrical dis
charge take place between two points, or
small electrified areas. and Is infnitesi-
I NAL compared with the lightning discharge.
which consists Of the union Of the great
4 classification OF the thunder cloud or
clouds with the great electriAcation OF the
earth which Ii induced thereon during a
thunderstorm.
"From Investigations made by me since
ass Of the elects Of lightning discharge.
II have found that the area Of the electrical
charge. Intensely induced upon the earth,
and with which the atmospheric electricity
principally unites by the lightning dis
charge, varies from about half mile to
two miles. according to the height and area
Of thunder cloud conductivity Of the sur
faoo earth, depth Of the underground
water bed and the presence Of underground
water, gas and other metal pipes, railway
tracks. wire fences and overhead and I'M
derground electrical wires.
'The union Of the atmospheric electricity
with that Of the earth is effected by series
Of discharges In rapid succession, giving
rise to the vivid, quivering light commonly
known as lightning, and also causing Ger.
tain phenomena which are erroneously re.
ear3sd % freaks. The union Of the atnnos-
paeric electricity with that Of the earth
by . lightning discharge can only he effected
within great area and not at single
point or within small area Of earth, as
thsorized from laboratory experiments;
and will add that any lightning theory
based upon laboratory experiment Is
not worth the least consideration.
Tor ages nature has been clearly indi-
eating its electrical actions and wants,
and the unsatisfactory state OF the light.
ming protection art is due to the ne gleot or
Inability Of scientists and electricians prop
srly to investigate and interpret natural
electrical phenomena.
Reference was made by Greek writer's
more than 1900 years ago to the attraction
OF lightning discharges for great oak and
other trees with outst retchirrg branches and
tas;,ss foliage. Similar phenomena we're
observed by Faraday. Henry and other
eminent scientists Of the last century, and
these phenomena were not fully understood
by them.
4 the atmospheric electricity, while
whiting with that Of the earth by a lightning
discharge. selects a great tree, haystsck,
. well filed barn. granary, icehouse or other
storage warehouse lumber yard, oil tank,
church or other great building for the reason
that the tree branches and dense foliage,
greatly or compactly stored material, as
hay, grain, Ice, tobacco. cotton, do.. and
the huge area Of building material les
pecially metal work. offer a great scope
by which such electrical union can he
readily effected.
sFor similar reason there is quite an
attraction fora herd Of cattle, flock Of sheep,
TO-, also for great assemblage Of persons
WHISTLER In q circus, grand stand Of race
track, military encampment or church.
up to the time of the Introduction Of
water pipes in buildings the Franklin rod
was fair success as a lightning con-
ductor. this being accounted for by the
fact that the atmospheric electricity while
lowing to the earth divided into numerous
branches, OF which the rod received one
branch and the adjacent houses, trees
or other objects the other branches.
/ Since the introduction of the under
ground water, gas and other metal pipes,
railway tracks, wire fences and electrical
wires, the atmospheric electricity conoen-
trates and flows to such extended metal
and the earth in from one to
four main paths.
-'fhe metal finals, ridgings. cutters,
metal roofs, rain leaders, venti ating, gas,
water and drainage pipes, electric light
CondIits Gron tubes), metal laths, ceilings,
&C., although electrically insulated from
eaoh other, offer greater scope and
greater attraction for light
ming discharge than that offered by the best
outside lightning rod or rods, az usually
Employed.
The overhead telephone and electric
Hight wires as now connected with buildings
also invite lightning discharges to take
place In line Herewith. and also with the
Interior Of the buildings, resulting In damage I
thereto, notwithstanding the employment
Of lightning airesters and safety fuses with
such wires.
In fact, from the true lightning stand
point the present architecture and electric
engineering Of buildings Ia unscientifio
and defective. Even the modern sky
Bcraper liz not strictly scientifically con-
Dtructed building.
The steel framework and great iron
oaiasons are electrified by induction during
, Thunderstorm; but when they are sep
arated by cement, brick and stone they
do not bear proper electrical relation
with each other, and assures are liable to
b created in such intervening material
by terrific lightning discharges in line with
such building.
4 The electric light wires in q skyscraper
~ other building are also highly electrified
~ induction during thunderstorm, but
owing to lack of a proper electrical rela-
Hon between such wires and the interior