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Show LIGHTNING RODS Thunder storiuB remind uh of death and destruction by Mining, and the uuhjeot of thin article follows oh a very apropos consequence of such reminder. Many people have no faith in lightning lightn-ing rodn, arid many more have the ut-moBt ut-moBt faith in ovcrythiDg that bears the name. The fact is a good lightning rod affordn almost perfect protection, while a poor ono ia much worse than noueatall. (jo into a telegraph offioe when the liuhtninKS &ro snapping and flinhiag like a fusilade, and you wil iiod the skilled operator, who is pro tooted fcy good ground wires which are really libtuiD? rod" to draw ofl tac HurpluH charging of the lines as calm and unconcerned afl if resting upon a bed of rosea. In fact moat operators rather like a good sharp showery pyro-tcchnical pyro-tcchnical display, enpcoially if eomo timid spectator chances to bo within convenient distance. Eleotricity seeks the ground as nurcly aH water its level, and ifit findB no buitablo route it frequently fre-quently takes the shortest " cut across lots," marking its pathway ao distinctly that no one is apt to mistako the visitant. A lightning rod attracts the subtile lluid ; pooplo are right in assorting this. And that is exactly the purpose of the rod. It is not the smooth, clear routo fur the fluid that causes destruo-tion, destruo-tion, but iho resistance of poor or non-oonduotoru. non-oonduotoru. When a thunder cloud breaks near a tall houso or tree or anything of tho kind it instantly strikcB or seizes hold of it to escape the more roadily into tho earth, yet it finds nothing but resistance to its progress and tho consequence is a shivering, into shreds, of tho object struck. If a bit of metal comes in its courso or near it, tho lightning will leap as quick as thought from tho uood to tho metal and leave it with an explosion should tho metal fail to extend to the earth. A good lightning rod attract?, and it at tbo same lime affords a perfect path that rill not, can not, ho left until the fluid rcaohos the ground. Aa tho raging rag-ing roaring torrent follows its bed, nover leaving it while thoro ia full and frae course, so does clectrioiiy follow a metal conductor. Telegraphers will Bit in their office and tell you of a thunder storm hundreds of miles distant dis-tant that may have crossed their lines; and they know of it beoauso they sec and, if they cuooso, fool tho flashes as they follow tho wires into their own olfico and thence seek the ground. The fluid thus runs hundreds of miles along its conductor or lightning rod rather then follow tho poles to the ground, unless, indeed, the charge is too great for the capacity of tho wire. So, a nocd liifhtQinif rod does attract light ning and from a cloud approaching mar, silently and quietly draws off the lluid rendering the cloud entirely harmless harm-less ; or in etiso a cloud bursts tho rod receives tho chargo and conveys it harmless to the ground. By the former method a great proportion of passing clouds aro discharged without bursting, burst-ing, and by tho latter all danger is avoided when such a result docs occur. A good rod should bo continuous, without break ; if jointed tho connection connec-tion should bo perfect as ono piece. Tho oablo rods, or wire ropes, in use aro u&ually excellent proteotors. A rod of iron ought to be at least an inch in diame tcr; ono of copper, a half inch. "Magnetic, points" aro a humbug save as they ail'urd good, bright, platinum tips the magnetic part amounts to nothing. Tho routo takou is immaterial; imma-terial; but water pipes or roof spouts should be enclosed in the circuit, so ah to afford esoapo for auy electricity that may Btrike them. If the rod passes near gas or water pipes it should be conncotcd with them to prevent jump ing from the conductor to tho pipes, Tho grouud end of the wire ia one of the most important points of all, einco if there is not what telegrapher call a "good ground" the rod is almost useless and always dangerous. Dry earth is no conductor. A writer who is evidently "posted" gives the following follow-ing excellent directions as to the ground end of a perfect lightning rod: The rod should be carried horizontally horizon-tally a foot or two under tho surface to a distance of eight or ten feet from the foundation walls. Here a pit should be dug four or five feet square, penetrating to moist earth. Carry the rod down the centre of this pit to the bottom, aud throw in a oart load ot scraps of sheet iron and tin, and you wiil accomplish the end as well aud cheaply as in auy manner we know of. A cart load of oharooal will autwer the same purpose. |
