The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1916-07-21
LIGHTNING A MENACE
ON THE FARM
Precautions To Be Observed In Pro
teetlng Life And Property
From Lightning.
MYRO& CREESE,

'' h'-N NFsSDTs,
MARYLAND State College Of Agriculture.
There are number Of ~ pes Of light
ming. u" most common forms being
th" "iork"d stfoks." band lightning.
hest LIGHTNING and sheet lightning.
TIL" last two forms Of lightning are 20
remote from the place where they are
observed that they are perfectly harm
To- Both the forked and band light
ming are extremely dangerous forms.
IT." dangers from lightning may be
eta Ih"H a.. % Dangers to person /:
(2l Dangers To property In almost
every Gaze the danger TO person Is lin
itcd 10 shock which may result In in
tur' OF death Danger 10 property in.
clnd"s DO" injury OF death to livestock
a. r"-ult Of -hock. or destruction Of
building trees. etc, either shattered
Or set on IRE
Wise Precautions
Statistic show that many persons
have been injured By lightning in open
held. especially on hills towards
which tho storm was approaching.
The only safe thing to do under such
condition. /. 10 md d'y d"pi.s- ION
IN the around and TO lie down until
the storm Ia. passed II + dangerous
to tax" heller IN a thunderstorm un-
der tree or small group Of trees ,
lightning striking the trees may be.
diverted from lfr tree trunk through.
N" persons body to the ground or
falling limb may inJure him II there
Is tree or small group u trees In an.
open field, II l. safer to take up O.
position near the trees but not under
them, because lightning IL more liable
to strik" tall trees. which act Hke
lightning rods, than the person A
person shOuld take refuge in n build
Ing before IN" storm commences and
avoid crossing an open hcld while the
storm f. passing
II T. very dangerous to take shelter,
during a storm. under metal roof
which f. not thoroughly connected To
the ground by wires or pipes Any
building, such az dwelling house or
barn, Is not entirely safe shelter un-
les II contains some well grounded
metal extending above the roof. In
unprotected buildings the most dan
gerOus places to occupy during
storm are near chmncys, firepIaces,
and the walls
Protection To Buildings.
Protection from lightning does not
consist in preventing the building
from being struck; but In providing
an easy path for the discharge to the
ground. Lightning rods may be made
OF iron or COppdr, but, on account OF
the rapid corrOsion Of iron exposed to
the weather. II Is probably 'hcaper in
the end to use copper Rods should
be placed from to II feet apart
along the ridge Of the roof and one rod
should be placed near each chimney
Rods near chimneys should project
two or three feet above them and
other rods should project at least three
feet above the ridge. All rods should
be fastened To the roof with short
heavy screws, or bolts Probably the
best form u metallic connection he
loosely woven wire cable Of small cop.
per wires The cross section Of the
wires In the cable should he about
equal to that Of solid wire three.
cighths Of an inch In diameter The
copper cable should be IN one con
tinuOus piece. fron one ground con.
ncCtion near 4 corner of the building
TO the roof and down the diagonally
opposite corner to another ground con.
nactIon. The cable should be carried
from n" first ground up the side of
the building near a corner, along the
corniCc 10 the ridge, along the ridge,
down IN" opposite Cornice and down
the corner 10 the second ground The
on the roof with special metallic
clamps; and to the building with spe
cial forns Of clamping devices or
ordinary pipe straps, the clamps or
straps being secured with short. heavy
nails Or screws. No sharp bends
should be- made in the cable and il
should be protected from mechanical
INJURY bN mailing strip of board nr
molding over the cable from the
ground line To "a height Of about six
feet All spouting and any pipes, such
as NcntllaturS. projecting above the
roof should be connected metalically
to the cable DO not use insulators
anywhere in connection with lightning
rods with an L.shaped building, /,
is wise to connect third ground &c
the system at the angle of the l..
Proper Grounding
lly grounding is meant the hest elec
triCally conducting ground connection
to b" found near the building which is
to be projected Probably the best
ground l. 4 continuous eNtensiN I
metallic pipe system buried in The
'afth, eu'h AS water pip" system
The simple process of connecting tn,
cable 10 a pipe driven several feet into
IN" .ruund is not generally sufficient
grounding II an extensive water. pipe
system Is not available for grounding
Il pit two To lhrcr feet in diameter
should be dug down to pcrmanen
moist earth Tie ground cone ol
plate, to WHICH the cable is secured
should be buried IN the pit and sur
rounded with coke or charcoal to q
depth ul from one to two feet The pi
should then be- iillcd IN with earth t.
til" ground leyrl Soil saturated witt
stable drainage makes an eNcellen
ground. hml nnasesses the disndNan