River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1925-06-11
LIGHTNING RODS

Five hundred people are killed and
twelve hundred injured by lightning
in the United States and Canada each
year.
In 1923, the property loss due to
| lightning in the United States was
| S11,513, 1880; in Wisconsin, in 1924,
it was $923,2100O.
Farm buildings, churches, schools
and other isolated structures are
particularly. subject to lightning.
There are few fire causes against
which so reliable defense is avail
able. It is good lightning rod sys-
TEN, properly installed, grounded to
permanent moisture, and kept in re-
pair. Prejudice arising from swind
ling methods of many years ago need
not deter anyone from installing an
approved system Of rods, as their
protective value has been amply dem
onstrated.
The National Fire Protection As
ISOLATION stresses four fundamental
principles which must be observed in
installing a system of lightning con-
ductors:
1. All points of building most
likely to be struck by lightning
should be provided with rods. The
rod points should be high enough
above the structure to obviate danger
of fire from the flash. One rod
placed at the highest point of
building is not sufficient to protect
the building.
2. Conductors from the rod points
should be arranged to offer the least
possible obstruction to the passage
of a stroke between the point and
the ground. The most direct path is
generally the best and there should be
no sharp bends or loops for the
lightning to jump across. From
each point there should be at least
two widely separated paths to the
ground for the lightning to follow.
Insulation of the conductor from the
building is not necessary.
3. Grounding of the conductors
should be thorough and permanent.
If water pipe enters the building,
at least one conductor should be
connected to it at point just out
side the foundation wall. If the
ground is moist clay or other soil of
similar character as to electrical con-
ductivity, the conductor can be driven
into the ground for depth of at
least ten feet to make the ground
| connection. Where the soil is
largely sand, gravel or stones, and
thus liable to be dry in summer, more
extensive artificial ground connec-
tons are necessary. The ground con-
nections should be distributed about
| the outside of the building.
A. Since a lightning conductor
| system as general rule is expected
to remain in working condition for
| long periods with little attention, the
mechanical construction should be
strong and the materials used such
as are not readily subject to rust or
corrosin "copper", for instance, being
one of the most desirable materials
for this purpose).
These four essential factors are
required in any system of lightning
rod protection. There are, of
course, other factors which enter in
to the proper design and installation
of these systems. The purchaser is
advised to deal only with responsible
and reliable concerns specializing in
lightning protection equipment.
Any interested in the subject may
write the National Fire Protection
Association, 40 Central Street, Bos-
ton, Mass, for comprehensive code
on lightning rod installation.
Industrial Commission.
Get Burgess Radio ga" batteries,