Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
Ill 
if there were points running off from the lower end into the ground. 
Mr. Benton - . And in terminating the rod in a cistern or well 
of water, would there be danger of rupturing the structure? 
Professor Sterling. That is a very pertinent question. I 
should think there would be some danger if the rods ran to the bot¬ 
tom of the cistern. There might be some danger of the charge 
passing through the cistern. 
Secretary Field. How, if the cistern is nearly full of water? 
Professor Sterling. If there was a good conducting substance 
on the other side of the cement, the charge might pass through the 
plastering. When the rod runs into the water the tendency is to 
pass off on the surface of the water, and not through it; but if the 
rod should run near to the bottom and in contact with the cistern, 
I should think there might be some danger. As a general rule I 
should think it might be safe. 
Mr. Benton* We see that the fluid is distributed, where it cut off 
all the grass around the pond mentioned by Mr. Anderson. 
Mr. Tuttle. I have a point: I rode one time on Lake Huron 
and our foremast was struck by lightning. The fluid went down 
the mast and went about 3 feet under the deck and came level with 
the surface of the water outside, and that was the end of it. When 
it got to the level of the water outside it passed away, and it did 
not injure the vessel at all, and it did not go below the surface of 
the water. 
Professor Sterling. In inserting the rod in the cistern I should 
be careful not to run it to the bottom of the cistern—that the 
fluid might pass off entirely on the surface of the water. 
Professor Daniells. You may take a conductor, I do not care 
if it is a foot in diameter, and direct a point towards it, and the 
electricity will be discharged. It strikes me that a point would be 
of no avail under the ground, because there are such a multitude 
of minute points or particles of earth which have moisture on the 
surface that I do not think it would be of any consequence. 
Mr. Jackson. There is another question I would like to ask, and 
that is, in relation to select spots for building, whether high lands 
or low lands are most exposed to lightning. In the immediate vicin¬ 
ity of where I live, there is a large tract of low lands, somewhat 
covered with timber, and very frequently it is visited with lightning. 
Hardly an acre can be found that is not marked with it, while on 
