Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-04
SAFETY FROM LIGHTNING
Some Places Where One is Reason
ably Secure from Violent
Thunderbolt
POPULAR IDEAS KNOCKED our


The fear of being struck by light
ming is both a very real and very
sensible fear.
But lightning can be avoided like
all other evils 1t will strike III eer-
tain places and it will not strike in
other places. There are reasons Tor its
behavior in both cases, for nature
never operates by chance
A steam engine or railroad coach
are as safe places as any in the world
as far as lightning is concerned No
one has ever been struck BY lightning
while he was aboard train
The business part OF city Likewise
is never struck by lightning. Neither
are tall skyscrapers ever hit 1t is
matter OF record that insurance com
panies never have any losses from
lightning striking any building with
metallic sides and framework OF iron
and steel
A steel battleship is also safe from
the bolt from the clouds as is steel
windmill tower This is because every
one OF these objects is its own light
ming rod and needs no further nrotec-
ton than they can give themselves
There is another list Of things
which lightning will surely strike II
will strike a country house OF a house
in the outskirts OF town Il likes TO
hit a barn, church. school house, tree
stack or animal especially, if il is
near wire fence.
The Safest Place in the Home.
As for house, the safest place III
lightning storm is your iron or brass
bed II is very dangerous 10 stand
near the bed because you are taller
than the bed The reason why you
are safe when lying on il is that the
bed head and foot extend above your
head The current will not leave the
bed TO pass through your body. The
walls and the floor Of the room may
be ripped to pieces, but YOU will be
safe as long as you lie still in your
bed
Feather beds offer no protection
whatever from lightning unless they
lie on a metal bed II bed is OF
wood and the springs are steel the
wood of the bed may be split to
pieces, but you will nevertheless re-
main unframed.
During the day the safest place in
house is in the center of a room
provided there is no stove near. Con-
trary to popular opinion it makes no
difference whether doors or windows
are open or closed Lightning can
get in under any circumstances if it
wants to.
From data in several fire tables COW
ering period of nineteen years prior
TO the year 1908, given in a publica-
ton issued by the United states gov
eminent on Lightning and Protec-
ton From Same" there is shown that
out of 1908 fires from all causes in
barns, stables and granaries there
were l4,oo8 caused from lightning.
These figures include the total OF all
fires, both known and unknown The
npercentage of fires caused by light
ming having been l0.2 per cent The
per cent OF fire from known causes
and which were due to lightning
comes up to 2l5 per cent. At any
rate, and especially from statistics OBJ
tanned by various insurance companies
in the central and western states,
where there arc a great many isola-
ted barns, dwellings and other build
ings, owing to the large farming sec
tions, there is a great risk incurred
during the summer months by light
ming destroying or partially destroy
ing such structures and also killing
live stock.
Perils of Fence Wires.
Animals are often killed by coming
in contact with charged fence wires.
In the eastern part OF the United
States not much attention is paid to
protection from lightning. as in gem
eral there are greater number Of
cities and also steel-frame buildings
are more in vogue. Such buildings
and also where dwellings or other edi-
fees are gathered into solid blocks
and IL addition provided with metal
roofs connected to the ground through
leader pipes, etc, the lightning has
very little chance TO create any dis
ruptive discharge, but instead is dis
sipated noiselessly into the earth
through the greater surface leakage
thus provided for il.
In the case OF isolated frame struc-
lures or other buildings. not provided
with steel framework, there IS only
one safe method TO follow Tor the
protection against lightning aud this
is 10 install proper lightning rod sys-
TENS. Every isolated dwelling, barn
and other outbuildings Of any conse-
quence should be protected in this
way from the ravages OF nature
against the electrical demonstrations
OF which It is not safe ia gamble or
bet
The safe way is the best way and
II seems as in many other lines Of
human endeavor the modern systems
ol roddng 4 house as il is called. for
lightning protection has eliminated
the old.ume glass insulator which
was rideulously small aud IL TACT
Il anything cunduced 20 the disrupt
iyc or flash discharge of the lightning
current
A building with trees adiaeeut to %
or dominated hy deeple % other
loify buildings must NOT Is nUsd.
ettd 8s mmunr "A discharge a eelr
dom solitary along one sings rslhi
81 Is often an assrmhagr % hue0 ~
Asshes and an points lu The ue,sh'
horh0od afr liable 90 pc sffuEa bF
SOME 81 Jhf subsidiary aF accompany
ua discharges Even unAef aWu8
cellars hA htfn 81 invaded aNn