1696 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
597 
A SCIENTIFIC LIGHTNING ROD. 
HOW AND WHEBE IT SHOULD BE BUILT! 
What Is the Rod to Do ? 
A great deal has been said and written about the 
use of lightning rods on buildings, and there is, 
among practical men and even among engineers, some 
difference of opinion as to their real value. But that 
difference of opinion seems to me to arise from the 
fact that lightning rods, as they have been erected 
upon buildings, are very seldom put up according to 
scientific principles, and in some cases are erected 
with such entire disregard for the proper rules which 
should govern the application of lightning rods to a 
building, that they are really worse than useless. 
A lightning rod serves two distinct purposes : First, 
and this I consider most important, is the neutraliza¬ 
tion of the electric charge by the transfer of elec¬ 
tricity by the action of the points with which the 
lightning rod should always be tipped, which tends 
to equalize the electrical condition between the cloud 
and the earth. Second, to convey harmlessly the 
effect of a disruptive discharge, or lightning stroke, 
iu case such discharge occur. 
Every one who understands anything at all of elec¬ 
trical science, knows that a discharge of lightning is 
due to an accumulation upon a cloud of an enormous 
electrical charge, exactly as electricity is accumulated 
upon an insulated metallic body when such an insu¬ 
lated body is connected to a powerful electrical ma¬ 
chine. The source of this charge upon the cloud is 
not well understood, and it is not a matter of any 
consequence so far as the question of the employment 
of lightning rods is concerned what this source is. 
The charge is there, and the discharge to the earth 
is, sometimes, the cause of very serious damage. 
These things we know, and perfectly well understand. 
We also know that damage from an electrical flow 
always occurs where the electricity, in its passage, 
has to overcome resistance, especially where it forces 
its way through exceedingly poor conductors. But 
no matter how good the conductor, if it be too small 
to convey the current of electricity that must flow 
over it, it will be heated, and may be even melted and 
destroyed. 
Why Does Lightning Damage ? 
The damage from lightning is due to a flow of elec¬ 
tricity, usually over very bad conductors, and that 
flow is between the cloud and the earth. If the elec¬ 
tricity find a good conducting path of ample size, its 
flow will be accompanied by no injurious effects. 
This fact is perfectly well settled, is borne out by ex¬ 
periments upon electrical discharges on a small scale, 
as produced by electrical machines, and is, certainly, 
not disproved by any results occurring in the case of 
buildings which have been equipped with lightning 
rods, because, in the case of injury to such buildings, 
a proper investigation has always shown a good and 
sufficient reason why the lightning rod did not serve 
as a sufficient protection. 
It is evident that, in order that the lightning rod 
may protect a building in case of an actual discharge, 
the rod must furnish the easiest path to the earth to 
be found in that building. It is essential, therefore, 
that the lightning rod be a good conductor of elec¬ 
tricity ; that it be of sufficient size ; that its com¬ 
munication with the earth be as perfect as it is possi¬ 
ble to make it. Beginning with the latter, dry earth 
is an exceedingly poor conductor, and a lightning rod 
simply terminating in dry earth, might as well not 
reach the earth at all. Furthermore, moisture, or 
even earth that is soaked with water, is a very poor 
conductor as compared with metals, and its power of 
diffusing the electricity from the rod will depend 
upon the extent of surface in contact with the rod. 
That surface should be very large. It is not at all 
sufficient simply to bury the rod itself in the ground, 
even though it be carried down to a point where 
water permanently stands. 
The Ground Connection; Size of Wire. 
To make an efficient ground connection, a hole 
should be dug down to permanently moist earth, and 
a plate of copper or galvanized iron, presenting a sur¬ 
face of six or eight square feet, should be buried in 
the ground, preferably set up edgewise, and the 
lower end of the rod wired and soldered firmly to it. 
The rod itself would best be a cable of copper or gal¬ 
vanized iron wire. As to the necessary size of this cable, 
there has been a great deal of misapprehension. In de¬ 
termining the size, the problem has been solved as for 
a continuous flow of electricity, ignoring the fact that 
for a sudden rush of current, as occurs in the case of 
a lightning discharge, certain resistances come into 
play that do not exist where there is a steady flow. 
It is now perfectly well understood that, for a sudden 
rush of current, or for currents that rapidly alternate 
in direction, the flow is almost entirely confined to 
the surface, and, consequently, that a large conductor, 
in proportion to the metal it contains, is less efficient 
for such currents than a smaller one. 
It is impossible to give any hard and fast rule as to 
the necessary size of conductors for a given building. 
A great deal will depend upon the exposure and upon 
the surroundings. Assuming an isolated building, as 
a barn in the country, placed, we will say, upon some¬ 
thing of an elevation, and having no trees in its vicin¬ 
ity, adequate protection would be afforded if it were 
equipped with three-sixteenth-inch galvanized iron 
cables extending from the highest points, with per¬ 
manent -connection with moist earth, as has already 
been described. The cables, in any event, should not 
be more than three-sixteenths or one-fourth of an 
inch in diameter, and enough of them should be used 
to furnish an ample path for any possible discharge. 
These cables should all be connected by branches 
running along the ridges or eaves of a building, and 
their upper ends should terminate in sharp points ex¬ 
tending above the highest points of the building ; in 
case of ventilators or chimneys or other elevations, 
the cables should be carried up above the tops of 
these. In case there is a system of metal pipes inside 
the building, it is well to connect the lightning con¬ 
ductors to these at the highest point that these pipes 
reach, carrying the conductors into the building for 
this purpose. 
The conductor should not be insulated from the 
building. The insulators are absolutely useless 
against a discharge, or if the rod do not furnish an 
adequate path for the lightning, and there be any 
tendency to leap from the rod to the building, any 
insulator that it would be practicable to use would be 
entirely useless in preventing the discharge from the 
rod to the building, and such insulator does tend to 
prevent the efficient action of the rod in effecting a 
silent neutralization of the charge existing between 
the clouds aDd the earth. As I said at first, I consider 
this the most important function of the lightning rod, 
since, if the charge can be neutralized and a disrup¬ 
tive discharge prevented, then all possible danger is 
absolutely removed. 
“ A Lightning Stroke ” ; Mistakes in Rods. 
It is a well understood fact in electrical science, 
that the presence of any body highly charged with 
electricity, causes, by “ induction,” a corresponding 
charge of the opposite kind upon other bodies in the 
neighborhood, and it is the rushing together of these 
two opposite charges that constitutes what we call a 
disruptive discharge which becomes manifest in a 
stroke of lightning. A highly-charged cloud will, 
therefore, induce such an opposite charge on build¬ 
ings situated on the earth below it ; but if these build¬ 
ings be covered by a network of metallic rods termi¬ 
nating in sharp points, not insulated from the buildiug, 
but as closely as possible connected with it, then the 
induced charge upon the buildings will find its way 
through these rods and, escaping out through the 
points, will be diffused over the clouds, and so, by a con¬ 
tinuous silent flow, neutralize the charge that existed 
there without any effect whatever being manifested. 
As lightning rods have been erected by the “light¬ 
ning rod men”, they are faulty in several particulars. 
In the first place, they are generally insulated from 
the building. In the second place, they are often in¬ 
adequate as to aggregate cross section. In the third 
place, they are often put up in pieces loosely joined 
together, not making a continuous conductor from 
the top of the building to the earth. Finally, the 
connection with the earth is, in almost all cases, 
totally inadequate. Often, the man who erects the 
rod does not do more than drive an iron bar into the 
earth three or four feet deep, sticking the lower end of 
the rod into it. The rod, in such case, is absolutely 
useless as a protection, and it is no wonder that build¬ 
ings so equipped should often have been damaged by 
lightning. 
In respect to size, also, buildings have frequently 
been equipped with a few large rods which would be 
ample to carry any such current as is produced by a 
lightning discharge, if this were a continuous, steady 
current; but as has already been stated above, such 
large rods offer a high resistance to the sudden rush 
of current that occurs in the case of a lightning dis¬ 
charge. In place of two or three large rods, there 
should be ten or a dozen small ones, as has already 
been stated. A building thoroughly equipped accord¬ 
ing to the principles outlined, could be insured with¬ 
out any risk whatever, against damage from light¬ 
ning. _ WM. A. ANTHONY. 
WESTERN NEW YORK POTATO NOTES. 
Potato blight is general this season ; but, so far, I 
cannot find that blight has induced rot, as the blight 
is everywhere, and the rot has appeared only in low, 
wet lands, and undrained clay, neither being suitable 
for potatoes. Potatoes were not nearly so well put 
in last spring as in 1895, less fertilizer and manure 
being used, and the ground not so well fitted, owing 
to the rush of last spring’s work. 
The yield, so far as I am able to learn by numerous 
inquiries, will not nearly compare with that of last 
year. When planted on stubble, the yield is very 
light. In a very few instances, where the crop is on 
dry ground, and has had the best of care, the yield 
will be up to an average. The continued wet weather,' 
with the prevailing low price at which potatoes are 
selling—20 to 25 cents per bushel—seems to have dis¬ 
couraged farmers, and they have abandoned their 
potato fields, and given the weeds full possession. On 
such fields when digging time comes, a short crop 
will be found. 
If anything be left for the grower, potatoes must 
be handled as little as possible, and with the least 
amount of hand labor. I do not feel like recommend¬ 
ing one of the high-priced diggers for small fields, at 
present prices of potatoes : neither do I think it prof¬ 
itable to dig by hand; besides it is hard work. 1 have 
been using a cheap digger, the llallock Improved, for 
four years, and its work has been very satisfactory. 
None of the diggers I have seen does as good work 
going down hill as when working up, consequently 
it is sometimes best to “ carry the swath,” and only 
work up the hill where the grade is too steep. I 
would use a digger, even if I could not get along any 
faster, for tbe reason that the potatoes are not cut 
and pierced as when taken out by hand, especially 
if hooks are used. 
As far as possible, boys are employed to pick up; 
the price paid is one to two cents per bushel craie, 
according to the yield. The crates are distributed in 
the field, and the boys are given light, one-half 
bushel baskets, which they fill and empty into the 
crates. Each boy has a mark for his crate. The boys 
are not expected to handle the crates ; a man does 
that part of the work, and keeps tally of the number 
of crates each boy picks up. 
Now, fathers, don’t hire the neighbors’ boys, and 
ask your own to pick up for nothing ! Shame on you 
if you do it! Pay them when you do the others ; do 
not tell them to wait until after supper ! Boys like 
to earn money as well as men, and have it for their 
own. 
One person can do the loading and unloading if a 
rack is used instead of a box on the wagon. 1 make 
a rack by taking two pieces 4x4, 16 feet long. I place 
them at the outside of each bolster, cut gains Ibl x2 
inches for cross-pieces, which should drop enough 
below the top of the bed piece so that, when the 
boards are laid lengthwise, they will be a little more 
than flush with the sides ; crates will not then catch 
when sliding off. Then I bore two lJjj-inch holes for 
the length of each crate, in the bed pieces. My crates 
are 20 inches long, and a shorter crate might need 
but one. I put in stakes that will reach two or three 
inches up on to the second crate, and it is done. It 
could be made nicer by having staples made, and put 
in a slat, as draymen in cities do. When loading or 
unloading, the stakes are removed, and there is noth¬ 
ing in the way. 
The feeling in this section among the best pro¬ 
ducers is that it will pay to store for better prices. 
There is a stronger tone in the potato market here. 
Last week, the price advanced in the local market to 35 
cents, and might have been maintained if the farmers 
would combine. But there is always somebody that 
is nervous and lacks confidence, that will take ad¬ 
vantage of a rise, and is ready to dump the whole 
crop on the market at a few cents below what others 
are asking and getting. t,. d. gale. 
Chautauqua County, N. Y. 
BUSINESS BITS 
The old reliable commission firm of S. H. «fc E. H. Frost have 
removed to larger quarters at 103 Park Place, and ask for con¬ 
signments of first-class produce. 
Geo. A. Sweet Nursery Company, Dansville, N. Y., issue a neat 
catalogue of trees and small fruit plants, that they are willing to 
send to any one interested in this line of goods. Tlie company is 
situated in a good position for growing fine stock. 
It is stated on good authority that the late Austin Corbin 
adopted the Adrian woven wire fencing for enclosing his private 
game preserve near Newport, N. H. His purpose was to get a 
fence which would hold the American buffalo without in any way 
injuring him. There is nothing about the Page fence to injure an 
animal, and that is one of the features that makes it popular with 
horse men. It is made by the Page Woven Wire Fence Co., Adrian, 
Mich. 
To destroy woodchucks, hold a ball of cotton batting, or any¬ 
thing dry that wilt absorb fluid quickly, over the entrance of the 
animal’s den and pour one to two tablespoonfuls of bisulphide of 
carbon on it. Put it in the den two or three feet, then fill the bole 
with a piece of turf, 18 inches down, hoe on soil and tramp it 
down; from two to three pounds will kill 100 woodchucks, and is 
an easy day’s work for a part-grown boy. The bisulphide of car¬ 
bon can be had in suitable quantities and shape of Edward R. 
Taylor, Cleveland, O. 
The R. N.-Y. hopes that none of its readers is in need of arti¬ 
ficial limbs of any kind; but if any of them or of their friends 
should be in need of them, they can hardly find, in this country, a 
more reliable place to get them than of A. A. Marks, 701 Broad¬ 
way, New York. Mr. Marks, like every one else, is, no doubt, iu 
the business for a livelihood, but he has devoted himself to the 
perfection of artificial limba, and in his success, has contributed 
very much to the comfort and nappiness of those who, through 
misfortune or accident, are in need of his services. 
