The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-02-07
LIGHTNING RODS GOOD.
Continued from page p

force in the air may be conveyed
safely to the earth. Can this be done !?
I am very positive in the conviction
that it is within human power to
greatly lessen. if not wholly prevent,
loss of life and property by lightn-
ing strokes.
What man has done man may do.
The fact that electrical power is now
generated and applied in all civilized
countries affords sufficient evidence
that this tremendous energy is sub
jcet to human control. In this coun-
try there are more than 300. 900 men
employed in producing and controlling
electrical force, in all the varied
forms of application to human service.
They directly handle, and use with
almost absolute safety. electric cur
rents fully equal in power to ordinary
single discharges of lightning in our
average thunderstorms. And fatal
tiles are of very rare occurrence be-
cause the men use adequate means of
protection. By the same use of safe
guards. though under somewhat diff
ferent conditions. we may ward off
lightning stokes.
At Niagara Falls small percent
tage of the immense water power is
used in the generation of electric
force. which is conveyed by insulated
copper cables Is miles to run factories
and illuminate cities. without APP
preciable loss of power in the trans
mission. This affords ample proof of
what may be done by we'll constructed
metallic conductors. If the cables used
in the transmission of electric cur
rents in operating cars and running
factories at long distances. were as
defective in construction as are many
of the lightning rods on buildings.
there would be the same measure Of
unbelief about the utility of electric
power that we hear expressed con-
corning the value of lightning rods.
To be valuable in either case the con-
ductors must be constructed scientifi-
cally.
There are hundreds of thousands
of miles of telegprah lines. and long
distance telephone lines in this county
which are generally we'll protected
from damage by lightning but oc-
casionally some damage is done to
their instruments and offices by in
ordinately heavy discharges beyond
the capacity of ordinary safety APP
pliances to control. That fact. how
ever. does not justify the conclusion
that it is not worth while to use
means for the protection of their
lines. The same holds true as to oc-
casional failure of lightning rods on
buildings to protect from damage by
overflow in cases of unusually heavy
shocks of lightning. If it an be prov
en- that protecting rods on buildings
are efficacious as against the greater
number of storms. then the case is
established as to their value. The
fact should be understood that barns
and other buildings are sometimes
fired and burned tc the ground by very
light electric flashes, while it often
happens that very heavy bolts of
lightning crash through structure
without causing flame. 1t is GER
tainly worth while to protect from
harm by the light discharges. even
if we do not completely guard against
the occasional heavy ones.
A we'll constructed lightning rod.
having good point and continuity of
connection from roof to the moist
earth below. performs a two-fold
Office: First. conducting the electric
charge to the earth. and second. pre-
venting a descriptive discharge by
naturalization of the cloud electrical
ton. The point above the roof is
about as essential as the rod reaching
the ground below. The chief defects
of all rods are blunted points and
breaks in the connection of the rod
with moist earth.
In this state, during the six months
from April lst to October LIST. the
greater part of the rainfall comes
with thunderstorms. In the mid
summer period the weather office re-
cords show the prevalence of thunder
storms In some portions of the state
nearly every day. And for this reason
it is true that in the insurance of
farm buildings and live stock the
chief element of hazardsis the des-
tructive effects of lightning. If that
could be eliminated the assessments
paid by farmers to mutual insurance
associations would be relatively light.
This is especially true as to live
stock. the loss of which by lightning
constitutes the heaviest burdens of
the farmers. The Investigations
carried on by the State Associations
of Farmers Mutuals show that about
two-thirds of the animals killed in
isss n 49, :.