The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-05-13
LIGHTNING
ROD TALK
Fire Marshal Tells of Good
Protectors.
SOME BAD PRACTICES
Are Pointed Out to Prospec-
tives Buyers.
A Good Rod Properly Constructed
10 a Great Protection From the
Elements.


the ground along the comb of the
building to the ground again. If
on dwelling it must be so placed
that the chimney from the cook
stove can be protected. In a two
story house having a one-story
kitchen the danger Is less from
the high chimneys for during the
thunderstorm season they rarely
have issuing from their throats
the column of hot air that light
ming loves. but the cook stove, like
death, has all seasons for its own.
The old Institution that a rod
must not be bent in a circle hav-
ing a radius of less than foot
need not be observed, for Prof.
Monroe Hopkins, lightning rod ex-
pert of the navy, finds that volt
ages up to 100000 travel rod
bent into series OF w's as cheer
full as a straight one.
A rod should not be run over n
porch because of the liability of
the human body to draw stroke
from it as does the COW from the
wire fence.
The hold fasts should be of a
material that cannot rust, and
should keep the rod at distance
of an inch or two from the roof
Ior wall
The practice OF holding wire
cable on a buildin by driving iron
nails through 1t is bad. Copper
being electromagnetic to iron gal
vanic battery Is formed when rain
water gets between IT and the nail
and the nail-head is soon eaten
off.
The lower five feet of barn
rod should be boxed to protect
1t from wagons and from animals
which might use 1t for a scratching
post.
When lightning flash jumps
an open joint in a rod 1t makes a
heat like that of an electric arc
lamp, which is four to five thous-
and degrees f. This Is more likely
to result in damage to the rod
than TO the buildings, but is a
reason for holding the rod from
the building.
A cluster OF points should be
placed above each gable and
chimney and th ,space between
clusters on the roof comb should
not be greater than 20 feet The
tips should be plated TO keep their
points bright and sharp so that
they will prevent strokes by maxi
Ing easy the escape of induced
electricity. But they Jmust be
heavy enough to stand a bolt of
ordinary power without melting.
The state fire marshal of Wis
consin. Mr.. Purtell after gather
ing the statistics of the 92 farm
mutual insurance associations of
the state for last year, said In
his annual report:
"Their reports showed light
ming loss-on unprotected build
ings of $SOS77 and but s95 on
buildings which were protected a
part OF this being from damage
to lightning rod points, one COM
pany stating they now have Is
points which had been struck but
In no instance had the building
been fred
The two ends of the rod must
go near enough to the underground
water beds to be in earth that Is
always moist. In most situations
this can be done with a spud. II
the building Is an expensive one
a mass of Iron load OF charcoal
or a copper can should be secured
to the end of the rod. A rod should
not be grounded on the upper
side of bank barn because of
the difficulty in reaching perman-
emily moist earth. Last summer a
stroke went down rod so ground
ed and following a chain from the
wall to COW, killed her. Independ-
ent grounds are preferable to water
or lsas mains.
Professor Henry of the United
States Weather Bureau insists that
"the system of protection be de-
vised and erected by a thoroughly
competent person"
The idea that rod Is broken
off above the ground is source
of danger is foolish. .Tf the
grounding is bad the lightning
don't take the rod at all" saws
Sir Oliver Lodge.
The time is near when farm
insurance companies will make a
separate classificat .onl&or rodded
buildings and will Inspect the
rods each spring.
ID. s. CRI1A MER.