Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-11


the reason that the tree branches and dense
foliage, greatly or compactly stored ma
terial as hay, grain, ice. tobacco cotton.
etc, and the huge AREA OF building material
ESPECIALLY metal work. ofter a great scope
by which such electrical union can be
readily effected.
For a similar reason there is quite an
attraction for a herd Of cattle, flock OF
sheep. etc, also for a great assemblage
OF persons, whether In circus. grand
stand Of a 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
flowing 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 pipsa
railway tracks, wire fences and electrical
wires, the atmospheric electricity concen-
trates and flows to such extended metal
conductors and the earth In from one 20
four main paths
THE metal nnials. ridginEs, cutters,
metal roofs, rain leaders. ventiating. gas.
water and drainage pipes, electric Iight
conduits dron tubes). metal laths ceilings.
etc, although electrically insulated from
each other. offer a greater SCOPE and a
hundredfold greater attraction for a light
ming discharge than that offered by the best
outside lightning rod or rods, as usually
employed
THE overhead telephone and electric
light wires as now connected with buildings
lfnfH HwfVa
place in line herewith, and also with the
interior OF the buildings, resulting in dam
age thereto, notwithstanding the employ
ment Of lightning arresters and safety
fuses with such wires
The Main Trouble.
Tn fact, from the true lightning stand
point the present architecture and electric
engineering Of buildings is unscienthc and
defective. Even the modern skyscraper IS
not strictly scientifically constructed
building
The steel framework and great iron
caissons are electrified by induction during
thunderstorm; but when they are sepa-
rated by cement, brick and stone they do
not bear a proper electrical relation yith
each other. and assures are liable 20 be
created in such intervening material by
terrific lightning discharges in line with
such a building
The electric light wires in a slSyscraper
or other building are also highly electrified
by induction during a thunderstorm, but
owing to lack OF a proper electrical rela-
tion between such wires and the interior
metal pipes, etc, the insulation Of such
wires is often impaired by such induced
charges as one or more convenient dis
charging points coincident with a lightning
discharge. This impairment OF such insula-
ton may not manifest itself until favorable
conditions are accidentally created for the
grounding action Of the electric light cur
rent which is then attended with its flow
over the impaired insulation to its metal
conduit. and thence to adjacent discon-
nected metal pipe or other grounded metal
work, accompanied with an electric arc
and fire.
THE many cases reported Of electric
fires due to defective Insulation Of electric
light wires should really be attributed to
unscentihc installation.
Fires Caused by Lightning.
THE following statistics of lightning
fires in this country have been compiled
from the Chronicle FIRE tables, and the
great increase is principally due to the
general Introduction OF wire fences I'm the
rural districts. the increasing use OF metal
"bih anu pipes dbuul DuliulnRS ana tl0
increasing extension of electric light and
telephone wires, especially to suburban
Five years Number of Property
ending fires. loss
1892 2,505 $SS7g,74S
1879 1879 1Ss8 5,ss nSisist n,sis,ait
"Of the lightning fires in this country
during the five years ended 1902 there
were $50 barns, stables and granaries;
ninety warehouses containing cotton, to-
bacco etc; thirty-ive grain elevators,
thirty-seven ice houses, twelve lumber
yards 465 churches, 12l school houses, 1ls
large buildings, embracing asyIums, court
houses, public halls, hotels and theaters.
twelve college buildings, 1O1 country and
general stores eight car barns eighteen
electric power stations, twenty-seven tele-
phone and telegraph offices, 116 railroad
depots and 5.A7 miscellaneous buildings.
embracing dwellings. stores. mills. facto-
ries and similar structures
1There is also considerable damage
caused underground by lightning dis
charges, such as the shattering of brick and
terra Gotta sewers and the impairment OF
the joints OF gas and water pipes, espec-
tally where laid In rock or earth OF poor
conductivity. certain portion Of the gas
leakage loss can be attributed to the de-
structive effects OF lightning discharges
upon the underground pipe joints. espeoi-
ally as gas pipes are generally employed as
ground connections for lightning arresters,
Proper Protection.
lowing to the greatly increased lightning
losses the Underwriters National Pro-
tective association is considering the adop-
ton OF rules and regulations for the proper
protection of buildings In this country. II
is obvious that no radical reduction Of
lightning losses can be expected under the
present unscientiho architecture and cleo
trio engineering.
THE metal work and pipes upon the out
side and inside OF a building should be metal
ically connected together and bear proper
electrical relation with the earth in order
TO effect absolute lightning protection. The
interior electric light wires should bear a
proper electrical relation with tho interior
metal work and pipes In order to prevent
the impairment OF the insulation of such
wires by a lightning discharge and also
prevent electric arcs and fires being created
in a building by the grounding action of
the electric light current
From results obtained by me during the
last ten years have found that in village