524 [Assembly 



the clouds which pass over, are plus, and the earth about the barns 

 is minus, the fluid, oleous gas, and vapor, may act as a conductor, 

 and attract the electric fluid, and carry it directly to the heated hay 

 in the barn. 



1 have thought a great deal on this subject, and am well persua- 

 ded that there are more of these buildings destroyed by lightning 

 when filled with new hay, than at any other time. May not the 

 above assigned reasons be the cause? 



Hay, when first housed, becomes heated; then the mSisture evapo- 

 rates; this exhalation (process,) may carry off the electric fluid, and 

 leave the barn and its surrounding locality with a less quantity of 

 electric fluid than is required to keep up an equilibrium. 



It is my belief that all exhalations from the earth carry up the 

 fluid, and where they are greater in one place than in another, the 

 clouds become charged with different quantities of the electric fluid, 

 and sometimes discharge into each other; say cloud No. 1, is charged 

 400 — cloud No. 2 is charged 800 — they meet by different currents 

 of wind, and discharge into each othei'. The quantities are equal — 

 600 in each — in all, 1200, which is carried over a barn that is but 

 200; the clouds are discharged into the barn, and all becomes equal, 

 1400. Now, if there was not something to make the barn minus, 

 it would not be struck. But suppose the barn to be plus, say 2800, 

 the fluid would pass from the barn to the cloud, which may not be, 

 or is not the cause, in my opinion. 



Evaporation carries off the electric fluid, so that the most power- 

 ful electrical machines have been made by taking advantage of this 

 process. Exhalations carry off the fluid in the same way; hence the 

 accumulation of it in clouds, and the distributing of it in thunder- 

 storms, which take place w^hen a charged cloud is driven by the wind 

 over any locality which has a less quantity of the fluid than itself. 

 Now, how to prevent the electric fluid from doing this mischief to 

 barns, is the great object. 



Suppose inquiries were made of those who were the sufferers, or 

 their neighbors, if they had lightning-rods to their barns, or in the 

 locality? — how far off? — if in good repair? — how many? — at what 

 distance (in feet?) — (for if it is said that the ligiitning-rod will not 

 work, act or operate, for more than 40 feet, or thereabouts, around 

 its station,) as to their height? — if any barn or house was struck 

 "which had a steeple standing near it; if so, was there a rod to the 



