The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-07-30
Stock Killed by Lightning.

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In the prairie states, farm
mutual companies have worked
out the remedy. They find that
loss from thunder bolts fred along
fence wires, which constitute two.
thirds of the total loss on cattle,
horses and sheep by lightning, can
be obviated entirely by grounding
the wires. Last summer in Iowa
single stroke running on a fence
wire killed 10 head Of cattle, and
Illinois 28 head. During storm
cattle drift before the wind
against a fence and then to a
fence corner. Sharp barbs in a
wire increase les liability to stroke.
An electrical discharge from the
sky is always seeking home with
mother earth, but if it reaches
good conductor, such as an iron
wire, it follows it to a point at
which there is an easy jump to the
ground. A steer being two-thirds
water is an ideal conductor. When
wet with rain he gives off a warm
yapor which makes an easy path
for lightning to follow to the
earth. So, standing near a
charged wire he is an easy mark.
An adjuster in Iowa reports:
"Lightning killed three steers
about a half mile from where it
struck the fence in one direction,
and in the opposite direction
COW and colt were killed by the
same discharge" ALI animals
are equally liable to lightning
stroke. Death comes from shock
to the nervous system stopping
the action of the heart. They die
instantly, if at all.
Animals killed by lightning
may be used for food if, on being
stuck Immediately afterward, a
copious flow of blood occurs.
Should the escape of blood be
scanty the carcass is worthless
except for fertilizer.
When skinned about thirds
of the animals killed show a line
of discoloration which indicates
the course of the electrical
current. The remainder show no
mark of injury. 1t has been
taught that men or cattle after
death are killed by sudden release
of the electricity induced in their
bodies before the stroke. Sir
Oliver Lodge, the authority on
lightning, says that this "return
stroke" as it is called, sis impo-
tently Feeble" and that death
comes from ga surging and splash
of an electrical charge whose
has been distur bed by
a local discharge at some dis.
lance" Therefore, it is from
electromagnetic momentum,
Mr.. George w. Miller, of
Bucyrus, delegate from Ohio to
the annual meeting of the Ameri-
can Association of Mutual Insur-
ance Companies at Denver, in the
name of the state fire marshal of
Ohio, asked this question :
"Should wire fences be grounded,
and if so what distance apart
should the ground wires be
placed ?" All the delegates agreed
that the loss of stock from light
ming was reduced two thirds by
the grounding of wire fences.
Mr.. F. E. Lynch, of Nebraska,
said that in 900 reports he had
had of stock killed, 80 per cent
stated: "Cattle lying close to
fence, wire melted and post split"
The president of the association,
Mr.. Forbes, said: SIN my com.
pany 80 per cent of buildings are
rodded. On the rodded buildings
we lost two dollars in nine years;
and on the 40 per cent not rodded
we lost IS, 600, end the same rule
applies to grounding wire fences"
In Kansas recently 500 feet of
wire fence was melted by light
ming.
Officers of number of Western
mutual companies in reply to
questions from this department,
have gwen their experience with |
different methods of grounding.
The size of the wire used in the
different states varies from No,
IA barbed to ! inch lion rod. The
distance advised between ground
wires varies from 81 TO 200 feett
All these methods have proved
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