Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1914-10-16

- At~titAS ctSNtt tNttes tue hthu We
use to perform work, is always on
the move 1t win not stand still; Ii
will not collect on anything When
4 properly Installed it is perfactly
tame and house-broken and u good
aud faithful servant. 1t does not
snap and eraekle, nor play myster-
ious FRANKS, nor SO on rampage.
destroying property and frightening
honest folk nearly to death.
Tightening is static electricity
the same kind that crachles when
you stroke a eats back Indeed, this
stroking of pussys fur causes a
miniature thunderstorm.
DR.. Charles p. Steinmetz, the
worlds foremost electrical engineer,
has this 10 say about the nature OF
thunderstorms:
In the early days lightning was
explained as the discharge OF the
clouds, The clouds were thought to
be positively charged, and the
ground negatively charged, the
sparks jumping from the cloud to
the ground Speculations were maze
as to how the clouds became
charged and as then the only meth
cd of producing electricity was by
friction it was thought to be the fric-
ton of the raindrops through the
air That explanation used to APP
pear satisfactory, but with our pres
ent knowledge of electricity it is not
correct
I'VE can not consider the light
ming discharge as simple electric
rupture in the same way that an
overloaded beam may break, but as
an equalization of internal stresses,
such as a piece of hot glass that is
rapidly chilled and thereby full of
internal compression and tension
strains, suddenly breaking all over
by the internal stresses. So with
our present knowledge we must con
slider this as the most probable eX-
PLANTATION, that the lightning dis
charge is the equalization of internal
electric stresses in the cloud, and is
similar to the splintering or break
| ing of an uneveniy stressed brittle
material, like glass. Lightning dis
charges are the result of the voltage
Inequalities produced in the clouds
by the unequal rate of collection OF
rain particles due to unequal cloud
density.
In agreement with this is that
heavy lightning strokes are usually
followed by a heavy downpour of
rain; in reality they are preceded
and caused by it, but it takes time
for the raindrops to come down.
The static electricity collects on
the PARTICLES of moisture in the air
When these particles condense into
raindrops the static electricity be-
comes crowded for room because
there is not as much surface of the
moisture particles which went into
it. When thunder cloud becomes
oyerburdened with static electric
ity it drops off its load on another
cloud, or to the earth, and we have
q shower of electricity
The lightning rod is a great pro-
lection, and | would not like to be in
an exposed place without such pro-
lection. But you must not expect
that one rod on one end the build
ing will completely protect the other
end a hundred or more feet away.
There must be enough rods to ex-
tend their protective zone over the
entire area. The apex of the roof,
and other projecting edges, must be
protected by rods and connecting
wires. That is, like any other APP
paratus, the lightning rod protection
must be installed intelligently and
properly to be effective. But the
general principle is correct, only it
must be nationally applied
Thunderstorms never occur in the
Arctic regions. and seem to grow
more severe as we approach the
equator. In certain parts of central
Africa the average run of thunder
storms is $50 days year, yet there
are some very curious exceptions. In
Sumatra and Java, both very hot CHI
mates, there are only so storms year
ly, and in Borneo only about so. The
gold coast of Africa has only about
60 a year.
Ins'Jaya there is a thunderstorm
every day for five months Perhaps
the most astonishing fact in regard
to thunderstorms is that the island
of Nautilus, which is only $50 miles
from Madagascar, has on an average
only one thunderstorm in so years.
Yet in Madagascar the lightning is
more destructive than anywhere else
in the world, the annual number Of
deaths being more than 300
Wachiu oton monument boIds tho