LIGHTNING CONDUCTORS

PREFACE.

The want in England of a good practical work on LightningConductors, accessible to both the professional and non-professionalreader, has long been a subject of remark. Thatthere are English works bearing more or less on LightningProtection will be seen at once on reference to the Bibliographycontained in the Appendix, pp. 231–248. But it will be foundthese books are either obsolete and out of print, or are writtenin a purely popular style that conveys little or no ‘usable’ informationwhereby may be obtained a trustworthy account ofthe growth and application of the Lightning Conductor.

It is with a view of meeting this need that the presentwork has been written. It contains not only a history of thevarious methods that have been used to this end, but also athoroughly practical exposition of the systems employed by thebest authorities in various countries.

To Architects, Clergymen, Municipal Officials, and all thosein charge of large and lofty buildings, it would be impossibleto over-estimate the importance of this subject. Year by yearan enormous amount of property is destroyed merely becausethe simplest precautions have not been taken to guardchurches and other large buildings from the effects of thunderstorms.

viiiThe Author of this work can at all events claim a largepractical acquaintance with its subject. He feels convincedthat those concerned in the preservation of buildings, whetherthey be houses, churches, or public offices, need only to learnthe simple methods that can be used to render the action oflightning innocuous, in order to adopt them.

R. A.

New Malden, Surrey:
October 1879.

CONTENTS.