Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-05-03
Lightning Rod Tests
Prove Very Successful

the laboratories OF tlle NeOrSe
Washington university in this
city stand the models from which
new system of protection from
lightning has just been adapted
for all the .buildinys and chimneys
in the various yards Of the United
States naly. Perhaps no better
place for playing with lightning.
after the sober. serious. scientific
fashion, tNists anywhere. Typical
among the. models is a miniature
brick chimney about two feet high
and four inches in diameter. hear
ing four httle metal rods whose
most noticeable peculiarly is that
they are not insulated from the
chimney by any of the ordinary
glass devices. but are SO construct
ed as to allow whatever of the
electricity is induced on the broad
surface of the chimney to drain
off instead of remaining there to
disintegrate the brick-work should
a disruptlve discharge occur.
"A copper "spider' spread across
the top of the chimney-a raeliat-
ing network of wires, connected
with the. vertical rods-is another
special feature. Down the interior
Of this toy shaft, and the case APP
plies to the big, real stacks Of our
Industrial centres. no chance is Of
fered the bolt from overhead to
pursue it's WAY dealing death and
destruction in the engine and boil
er rooms about the base
That's vital consideration, too.
When chimney is daily pour
ing heavenward a column Of smoke
and other products of combustion.
including not little water vapor
which always accompanies COM
bustion of fuel. there is every like
ihood that during some thunder
storm a swift discharge from above
may send an alternating current
Of incredibly swift vibration down
the long bore Of the shaft. Many
valuable stack, supposed to be
protected from the electrical haz
ard by a system of exterior rods,
has been badly damaged through
the failure of it's builder to appre.
ciate that a gaseous conductor
reaches much higher. and is Otter
a better conductor. than the rods
and may therefore serve as the
chief channel along which the OPP
posing electricities of sky an,
earth rush to meet each other
On the model in the George Wash
ington university, if the feet @
the spider are firmly attached t.
the ends of vertical conductors
the descending discharge when i
reaches the copper network will b,
sent harmlessly to earth outside
the stack
Testing this and other schemes
of protection, DR.. N. Monroe Hop
kins, assistant professor of chemis
try in the university and electrical
engineer of the United State
navy, is able at any time to pro
duce a miniature thunderstorm on,
offering just such conditions a.
those in the midst Of which tn,
tall stacks Of Uncle Sans nav,
yards in many cities need to b.
protected from the assaults O.
Jupiter Pluvius. No downfall o.
rain or hail, to be sure, accompa
MES the electrical display in thu
bare little laboratory, where will
meagre and generally home made
apparatus scores Of experiment.
importantsto human progress hav.
been conducted; but the play o
lightning is quite as real, and, tx
The visitor, almost as awe inspiring
i ais in nature. BY means Of a tan
dem or step. up-transformers'' thu
Investigator sends cracking across
the air from his electrodes to hi
lightning rods current, which il
the language of the electrician. il
said to be under pressure of l,