Efficient Lightning Conductors

At the recent meeting of tho British i Assoeiation, Dr. Richard Anderson, of the Society of Telegraphic Engineers, read a paper on Hghtning conductors, whioh contained some sound advice as to the prevention of casualties in tlmnder-storms. " First of all," he said, " it ia desirable that public rocommendation should be made, by local and other authorities, to place lightning conductors on all exposed or high-lying buildings, whether public or private, as j well as on thom standing near woods and on moist gronnd. It might bo well worth the trifling expense to place simple condnetors also against trees in parks, under which there are benches, or where persons are likely to gather i during a thunder-storm, they forming a prolific source of fatal accidents. Above all, no church, chapel, school, prison, or other large pnblic building, ougb.t to be without one or moré ' ning conductora. But, if it js necessary to multiply groatly lightning conduetors, it is equally so that thoy should bo planuetl, erected, and also pcriodically tested by competent persons, with scientifie as well as practical knowledgo of the work. The testing should take plucc at recular intervals, perhaps best in the spring , before the advent of the snminev thunder-storms, and it shotdd i likywise be made whenever a building ha.s been undergoiiig repairs whieh may have damaged the oonductors. A wellorgauizcd system of inspection of lightning conductors woiúd be most inexpensive. ïho galvanometer nsed for the pnrpose hom been latterly mucli iniproved mTjfermany, and smal] portable instnime.ut.s, of the size of a diminutivo carpet-bag, ai-o now made, which leave nothing to be desired in the shape both of eflbetivenessand durability. Already sueh a system of inspection and testing of conductors exists in Paris and several other French towns."