The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-02-07
LIGHTNING RODS GOOD
Professor Sage Tells Of Their
Efficacy.
SAVE LIFE AND PROPERTY.

vt the Request of the Mutual Insurance
Companies We Publish Interesting
Paper-Read it.
More than century and half
ago our great Ben Franklin made his
famous discovery as to the nature of
lightning. By his simple kite exper-
iment he demonstrated his theory
that the lightning flash from the
clouds was identical with the sparks
OF electricity developed by the fric-
tional machine with which he exper-
imented in his laboratory. That was
very simple and crude beginning.
which led up to more important and
valuable discoveries in electrical
science.
Franklin was an inventor as we'll |
as science explorer and sought to
make his discovery of practical value
to his fellowmen. Having proven the
theory as to the nature of lightning.
he sought means to protect life and
property from the destructive effects
of it's eruptive discharges from the
clouds to the earth. After much ex
perimentation with his FRACTIONAL
machine and Leyden jars. using con-
quoting rods and points of various
metals. he announced to the world his
invention of. the lightning rod for
protection of buildings. This dis
covery and invention gave to our
Franklin great fame among the
scientists of America and Europe.
Since the Franklin era. there have
been hundreds of students. scientists
and inventors at work in the vast field
of electrical research. and within the
last half of the 18th century great
progress has been made in the utiliza-
tion of that marvellous force of nature.
The tremendous form of energy
pervading air and earth. which was
formerly regarded as dreadful mon
ster. has been tanned and harnessed
and made to carry our messages,
propel our factories and haul cur
carriages with greater speed than
steam or any other motor power yet
applied to that purpose. And yet
with all our progress in that line. the
simple elementary work of Franklin
has never been discredited. The latest
as we'll as the earlier masters in the
scientific word during the last cen
fury and half testify that Beyond
doubt Franklin proved his case that
lightning rods were efficacious in the
protection of buildings -
Within the past fifteen years some
of the officials of the U. S. Weather
Bureau have experimental with kites.
equipped with modern appliances for
the study of atmospheric electricity.
One of the results of these expert
ments was the discovery that marked
electrical effects were exhibited by the
instruments at times when the sky
was cloudless. In some of these ex-
periments the operators received
painful shocks from the kites when
clouds and thunderstorms were hun
dreds of miles distant. This fact
gives color of probability to the
published statements that deadly
shocks have occurred from clear skies.
at rare intervals.
No one has yet been able to give
} an answer to the question. What
, is Electricity. We note its effects,
and find abundant proof that it en-
: anates from the sun. We know that
it is correlated to light and heat. anc
we accept the hypothesis of the ablest
. scientists that light. heat and electric
5 ity are simply different effects of the
v single electro magnetic force that is
5 radiated through the ether of space
from the great solar dynamo. the
sun. These three are transferable
$ each into the others. and are nevel
!. lost. though subject to change.
And so atmospheric electricity is 9
physical constant, but ever varying
in amount or potency. If this fore
r were at all times equally distributes
y in air and earth there would be nj
o flashes or destructive effects. If tn
! air were at all times eauable in TEN
perature and pressure at all point
around the earth. there would b.
L no storms of wind, rain or lightnin,
and no call for insurance against los
by wind or lightning. These grea
forces of nature are directly cause
by an unbalanced equilibrium of tn
elements. In fact, all kinds of nat
ural forces utilized by man. steam
wind. water power. explosive gasses
gun powder, dynamite, electric mo
tors, are direct effects of two op
posite conditions brought togethe
high and low. plus and minus. plen
UNI and vacuum. positive and negative
The power of the suns rays cause