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Lightning Rods & Thunderbolts

In a former paper on this subject I stated a case of thunderbolt action upon a lightning rod on a church steeple in Terra Haut, doing some damage to the church walls, and from thence taking effect on the gas pipes in the building - upon the meter, and then passing to the steel main, leaving its effects upon the  [[strikethrough]mains[[\strikethrough]] pipes by bursting the hubs [[strikethrough]]of these pipes [[\strikethrough]] at these joinings more or less to a distance of one thousand feet from the church building. Upon this I assumed a datum of the quantity of iron surface necessary to the absorption of an ordinary thunderbolt, and [[strikethrough]]showing[[\strikethrough]] attempted to show how small a comparative quantity the ordinary lightning rod presented to this requirement.

That, however being a single case of such phenomenon, & as connected with lightning conductors, seemed hardly sufficient for the establishment of a rule to govern the question.

Since that two more cases have presented themselves for investigation:- the first as occurring in the City of Indianapolis, [[strikethrough]] I [[\strikethrough]] and communicated to the Meteorological Section of our Institute by Tracy, Engineer of the gas works of that place, and by [[blank]] watchmaker, upon a whole house the bolt first took effect.  Mr [[blank]] says 

In a former paper on this subject I note a fine cases of lightning discharge upon as many buildings within the space of one hour, and that two of these five buildings were surmounted with lightning rods, while three were not, and that the two with rods were set on fire by the lightning, whilst the three without rods were not set on fire.  And that in another case the lightning struck the rod of a church st[[eeple]]

Transcription Notes:
last word - steeple. Just makes sense. Page is folded over there.