Year: 1878




But it's long ago-so long that quite likely
some OF the buXom girls Of the hollyberry
cheeks and 140 ayoirdupois to whom I was
trying to teach that people wouldn't fall off
the earth when it got upside down, quite
likely these girls are now -eheu !-tootbless,
old, smoking hags, while their grand-chil-
dren, who know that the earth does turn
round, will never arrive at the physical per-
fection Of their grand-dames, who didn't
know SO much. S.


Thunderbolts and Metal Roofs.


10 the Editor of The Philadelphia Evening


Bulletin:


On Thursday last; March IA, 1878, about
6 O'Clock in the afternoon, q thunderbolt
struck the house OF Mr.. Joseph B. Hotel,
2019 north Twelfth street, in this city. 1t
struck the brick chimney oS the back build
ing and Knocked dozen or more bricks off
and on to- the tin roof, and drove them
northeastward, Showing conclusirely that
the bolt came from the outhwestward-i.
e., with the direction OF the movement Of
the storm. The roof OF the back building
has no metallic connection with that Of the
front building, nor with the adjoining
building south OF it. The tin surface OF
the roof would not amount to more than
400 square feet-not enough to thoroughly
compensate for an ordinary bolt, but
enough to curtail its force to the preycn-
tion OF much mechanical destruction. The
tin roof is connected with q water-piDe
running down at the northeast corner Of the
building. Over and along this it browsed
U say browsed, because it eats up the sur
face furze OF the metaD its way towards the
earth. Having to make an angle OF direc-
tion at this point, it played the part OF any
other moving thing liable to tangenital ac-
ton, and portion Of it darted several feet
along the brick wall, dislodeing the mortar
from the bricks, and passed through the wall
and darted into the chamber from the lath-
nail heads, forcing the nails partly out of
their places, and driving off the plastering
at these points, which were about two feet
apart, and jumping from one nail to a gas
burner few inches off and slightly fusing
its surface, and at the other poin. on to
the metal coating OF picturc-frame hanging
Immediately above it. 1t blackened
portion of the frame metal Jet black.
Now, that constituted the whole amount OF
its mechanical offending. There is no
lightning-rod on this house. would adj
wise the owner to connect the tin roof Of
the back building to that OF the front build
ing with band Of TIN three or four inches



occur 10 the walls, since in that arrange
ment he will present metal surface sufficient
TO compensate for an ordinary bolt. In
my last report TO you l stated that I
would, on a proper occasion, say some
thing about the Snow-Harris light
ming catcher, because the lightning-rod
men lay much stress upon it as an argu-
ment in favor OF their rod protection. The
Snow-Harris rod has about as much relation
to their rod as sheet-iron plated ship has
to an iron-clad OF Pinch plate. Snow
Harrs's protector consists of broad cop
per band d.running down from the top mast
to the copper on the ships bottom. Besides
this, the ship, nowadays, has much more
iron in its rig and fixtures than had the
ship long ago, and when lightning damage
to ships was comparatively more prevalent
than now. From the great amount OF metal
fixtures, metal liic-boats, capstans, and
chaiss, the modern ship has become invul-
nerable to Jupiters artillery.


The man that nowadays goes round to
put up ingcr-thick lightning-rods for pro-
lection to buildings is rs much OF a charlie
tan as the man that sells amulets, Or he that
furnishes old horse-shoes to be nailed over
stable and house doors to Keep out witches.
The only protecting property OF the ''rod -





is about as efficacious as would be tiI-foil
coat OF mail to thrust OF lancer's spear.
The day is not far distant when metal
covered roof will be considered as indispen-
sable to the protection OF q building and its
furniture and its inmates from lightning
as is the roof itself to the protection OF the
persons and things inside from the rain.


From over forty years. observation I can
incontroyertibly say that the thunderbolt
passes from cloud to earth as any other mis-
sie would pass-shot or shell-meteorite OF
bail or iron, in the direction OF least resist
ance, regardless OF all and any pointers, and
that when it meets field Of metal it bounces
over it harmless, and goes the way OF all
things that play out.


Tie fire that we see in the lightning's
play is the combustion-the deilagration OF
the matter, ditfuse or otherwise, through
which the bolt passes. | have in my pos
session globuleS OF iron that dripped from
the end Of railroad rails along which thun-
derbolt travelled. The space between the
rails to allow for expansion aMd contraction,
not over one eighth to one quarter OF an
inch, being sufficient TO obstruct its ve-
locitt (air being non-conductor) to
degree OF fusion OF wrought-irOn. The
atmosphere is full OF diffuse matter.
Interstellary space is full OF dif1use iron
and nickel. A magnetic storm in the
regions OF interplanetory space pours iron
hail, and hence the deposition OF masses OF
meteoric iron upon our planet when it hap
pens TO be the nearest body to magnetic
cyclone. l have passed through snow and
hail-storms in the cloud region during the
hottest days OF July. It often SHOWS two
to three thousand feet above the earth, and
the oftenest in the hottest weather, and we
are unconscious OF it on the face Of the
earth, because it is melted and taken up as
vapor in the grasp of the lower atmosphere.


We are just commencing now in the
/" first reader" Of Meteorology, and if we
stick closely to facts as nature reveals them
to our senses, we'shal be able. by and by,
to make respectable science OF it. and learn
little Of the language that the stones use in
talking to each other, as we know they DO
when they are gabbling one to another in
their vibratory dialect, as manifest in the
telephone. JOHN WISE,


1851 north Eleventh street.


The New York Graphic begins an article
on lacrosse by remarking that we are in
debted to the Indians for samp, succotash,
corn. tobacco. the Dipe, to rotary motion OF