The Democratic advocate., 1909-04-23
LIGHTNING RODS
SEASON OF DESTRUCTIVE THUNDER.
STORMS IS APPROACHING
Means Of Protection From lightning
Within Reach Of All

The season for the recurrence Of
destructive thunder storms is rapidly
approaching and ii behooves every
farmer to prepare for 1t. We have
no hesitation in saying that the ALI
mighty has placed the means Of pro-
lection from lightning within reach
of man and has given him the intelli-
gence necessary TO make these means
available. II he neglects or refuses
to employ them he has no right to
complain If bolt destroys his barn
and contents or kills some OF his FAM
lily. The man who regards such ca
lamities as special acts of Providence
is still under the influence of pagan
superstition. The Almighty made ma
ture's laws and we must abide by
them. The man who refuses to en-
ploy artificial agencies to protect him
self from lightning in the belief that
God will protect him, should be con-
sistent In all his acts, and refuse to
protect himself from the cold of win
ter, the storms of autumn, the heat
of summer, and the dashing rain of
the thunder storm that sends down
the destructive bolt.
The Fire Marshal Of Ohio has Just
issued another timely newspaper bull
1etin on THE cost of thunder-bolts;
insurance and the lightning rod" He
says that last summer 213 buildings
were burned in Ohio by lightning.
against $40 in 1905 and 1913 in 1904.
The property loss by lightning last
summer was $2S3,544. This is an ay-
erage of over 81 1871 per building. They
could have been practically protected
- n
each, with modern rods. As reported,
only five barns were struck without
being fired, while IS houses were
struck and not fired The question is
asked why should the farmer 20 to
the expense of putting up a rod when
insurance will protect him from loss
by fire from lightning?" The fire mar
shal replies that insurance protects
for only so per cent. of loss OF build
ing, and the loss In most cases Is to-
tai, or 100 per cent. Hence there Is
no insurance on 20 per cent OF the
value of the building. The loss from
lightning usually cones when the
barn is fun of the harvested products
and on these there Is no short time
insurance; the loss ON contents covers
most OF the value. Then a loss by
lightning must be paid by premiums
or assessments on other property 1t
is all actual loss, II a rod saves II
there Is no loss. When lightning
starts a fire II Is often communicated
to other buildings belonging TO neigh
bors; this could be prevented by rods.
The marshal says that last year no
insurance company doing a large farm
business In Ohio got enough prem-
ums on barns to pay the losses on
them. Reports from farm mutual
companies show that their property
loss from lightning was two-thirds as
much as from all other causes com
bined. We think that every farm mu-
tnal company should adopt rule not
10 pay losses by lightning on unrodded
buildings. u would save halt the loss
and save the pQlicy-holders enough,
In a season or two, 10 rod their build
ings, Companies that do not adopt
this rule are not employing good busi-
ness methods
Rods viii protect The secretary Of
mutual company having over bA
million dollars at risk snys that in
seven years they did not have single
loss by lightning Oh a. rodded build
ing. a leading farm insurance COM
pany IN Ohio says IN q circular to
agents that losses by lightning In the
u. S. have increased per cent. nnnu.
ally Tor the last 10 years that high
er rates on barns and stock are q ne
cessity; that q proper rod win reduce
loss. that rates on country buildings
not SO protected will be advanced, and
the time Is near when an companies
win charge higher rates on unroddeG
property. Another company reports
that in It's last 500 losses from light-
ming not one was rodded A committee
Of the Nebraska State Insurance As
sociation reported that buildings prop
eriy r0dded were never struck or IN
jured by lightning, At a meeting uf
the Indiana Farmers Mutual Union,
recently, a plan BY which mutual com
panies may assess rodded buildings AZ
a less rate was the leading subject Of
discussion,
Insurance companies are chiefly re-
sponsible for the loss by lightning.
They have long refused TO make any
difference IN rate upon rodded and un-
rodded buildings. Let them dlseflm-
mate fairly and the rods VIII 20 up.
Every mutual company should at once
refuse to pay Losses by lightning on
unrodded buildings Tie company
that adopts this policy first viii be-
come very popular for formers are
generally convinced of its wisdom.
Let each company investigate the rod
business and recommen6 the kind or
kinds It finds reliable, and issue In
structions how to put them up Every
company should have competent rod
inspector, and every rod put up on a
building insured by the company
should have this inspectors approval
before II Is paid for. In the fre mar
shal's bulletin he quotes from the Uni
ted States agent OF the three largest
foreign companies doing farm busi-
ness, Gs follows The day Of the old
fashioned lightning rod man has
passed. Science, as now developed,
clearly indicates how property and
lives may be safely and inexpensiyely
protected against lightning dscharg-
es, and doubtless there viii be gem
eral revival of the application of light
ming conductors IL is absolutely inn
portant that the work be intrusted to
those fully competent Each installa-
tion is problem In itself
We would suggest that the State
Association of mutual insurance COM
panies should investigate and make
q list Of all the reliable lIghtning-rod
manufacturers, whose rods are relia-
Bile. and issue Instructions as to the
proper method OF putting them up.
The day of the old lightning rod man
is surely past, but farmers who were
swindled by the shysters, 25 or 40