The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-09-11
LIGHTNING RODS USEFUL
Properly Put UP They Save
Many Losses On Buildings
On The Farm.

The secretary of a mutual insurance
company having nearly five and half
millions at risk says that in the seven
years that he has been connected with
the association they have not had
single loss to ii rodded building by
lightning.
In a circular to agents a joint stock
company states that in It's last 500
lightning losses not one was roddcd 4
committee of the Nebraska State In
surance association reported that build
!ngs properly rodded were never struck
or injured by lightning.
In order that he might know the de-
gree of protection furnished TO farm
buildings by rods the Ohio state Are
marshal in 1907 Investigated the last
500 lightning fires reported.
Four hundred and twenty reports
were received and from the statements
made It was found that OF these ago
buildings struck not one had a mod
ern lightning rod. |, e. rod made
within the last twenty years.
Nine buildings In the 42o struck had
rods. but every one OF them dated back
10 the lightning rod crusade OF about
thirty years ago.
In no case could tho person occupy
rod was put up or what make 1t was.
or who put II up. Two were said 10
be in good repair. Only one OF the
nine rods was properly grounded.
Most reliable lightning rod COM
panics guarantee protection II the rod
! is properly put up. and some OF them
say that they never yet have been
called upon 10 pay for loss. Some nu-
tuol insurance companies arc making
reduction In premiums on buildings
properly rodded. and the general opin-
ion seems 10 be that this should be
done by all companies.
Lightning flashes arc OF two distinct
i types. which have been named by Sir
oliver Lodge the "a flash and the
"B" fash The "a" fash is a simple
type which arises when an electrically
y charged cloud approaches the surface
u OF the earth without an intermediate
70 cloud Intervening.
Under these conditions the lightning
rod acts In two ways.
: Fi.st Cand The greater part OF the
q tlmo) by furnishing n path for quiet
o discharge: second, by absorbing the
n energy OF disruptlve discharge go-a
e lightning stroke-of the "a" type. If
s. properly put up. In the "B" type Il
81
J. cloud carving tho primary charge To
II the earth and the two clouds form a
n condenser.
ir Then when a discharge takes place
II from the upper cloud into the lower.
j the free charge on tho Garth side of the
lc lower cloud Is suddenly released, and
II the d9sruptive discharge from the low
= er cloud to the earth takes such an cr-
+ rattle course that few lightning rods
te can protect a building IL can be G1id
1t with assurance then that a properly
? erected lightning rod VIII usually cause
a quiet discharge OF electricity during
thunderstorm and VIII carry n dis
ruptivc discharge without damage &c
the building IL 1T Is OF the "a type
but that IL Is impracticable 10 attempt
10 protect farm buildings from the "B
type OF lightning stroke. and when
buildings properly rodded arc struck
and damaged the fash undoubtedly be-
. longs 20 this latter class.
r The Ohio state flre marshal says that
= during 1906 no fire insurance company
doing a large farm business I'm ONO
-le sot enough premiums on barns to pay
,Sr its loss on them Reports of the farm
mutual companies OF this state for
20 1905 show that their property loss from
-t- lightning was two-thirds as much as
=. from all other causes combined The
ohio mutual organization. embracing
= Illinois associations. flnds that 10 pei
- cent OF farm building losses are from
lightning In Ohio in five years the f1r,
= loss on barns has a little more thar
~ doubled The loss on the building.
themselves is 81 per cent greater. whil'
- the loss on their contents is three timc-
as great.