Feather-beds are not a protection from lightning. The human body is a better conductor of electricity than feather-beds or other objects ordinarily contained in the apartments of dwellings, and therefore, when the lightning enters an apartment, the human body is likely to form one in a chain of inductions, determining the path of an electrical discharge, unless better conductors are in its vicinity to divert this action.

The only place of absolute security in a thunder-storm is an iron building; or next in safety is a building properly protected by lightning-rods.

A copper rod of one inch in diameter, or an equal quantity of copper under any other form, will resist the effect of any discharge of lightning hitherto experienced. The copper rod is therefore the safest and best material that can be used, but it is expensive. Iron rods of one inch in diameter are very commonly used, and, if pointed with solid copper and properly put up, are efficacious in the great majority of cases. The particular form of the rod makes no difference. It may be round or square, twisted or hollow, composed of one solid piece or made of wires twisted together. It is the quantity of metal contained in the cross-section of the rod that is of value, not the form.

Lightning-rods are provided with sharp points to allow the accumulated negative fluid to pass off readily into the air and neutralize the positive fluid of the thunder-cloud.

The object being to make so good a passage for the lightning to the ground as to remove all danger of its leaping to some conductor in the house, the greatest care must he taken not to have any break in the conductivity. As it is inconvenient to manufacture or transport the rods in one piece, the different parts must be in intimate connection when they are put up; it is best to have them soldered, and the joints protected from the air and moisture.

The point of the rod should he extended a little above the chimney or highest part of the building, and should he fastened in contact with the building by staples or cleats. Glass insulators should not be employed. It makes no difference in conductivity whether the rod is painted or not painted.

No building can be said to be properly rodded or protected against lightning, unless the lower part of the rod or terminal under the ground is made quite extensive. The extremity of the rod should conned with masses of good conducting materials, such as old iron or iron ore, or coke, or charcoal, laid in trenches.

Or the rod itself should be elongated, sunk deep in the ground, and carried a considerable distance from the building, and put in connection with water, or moist earth if possible. The golden rule for safety is: "Provide the largest possible area of conducting surface for the terminal of the rod." A lightning-rod which is not properly connected with the earth is quite dangerous. The very common method of merely sticking the lower end of the rod down into the dry earth near the surface of the ground is had, and endanger- the building, because dry earth is such a poor conductor, and the amount of rod surface in contact with the earth is so small under such conditions, a portion of the electric current will he likely to find an easier path to the earth through the building than through the rod; and a part of the electricity will therefore leave the rod, strike into the building, and down in various directions into the earth, making havoc as it goes. As a measure of prudence, house-owners should look to the terminals of their lightning-rods, and place there a considerable amount of the conducting materials above named.

It was supposed to have been established by Charles and Gay Lussac that a lightning-rod protected an area whose radius was double the height of the rod extending above the building; but this rule is no longer reliable, by reason of the extensive use of metals in the shape of pipes, etc., in the construction of the buildings of our day.

When electricity finds several paths to the ground, it will prefer the best, it is true; but some portion will also pass along the poorer conductors If, therefore, any metallic substances lie within the area supposed to be protected, they are in danger of being struck. This is especially true where the lightning has a chance to jump to the gas and water pipes of a building. It is a good plan to connect these pipes with the lightning-rod; if the rod is struck, the electricity will then have an excellent path into the ground, and will be rapidly diffused over the vast underground network of pipes. The danger to the inmates of the house of being struck from these pipes is less than that of receiving a shock from the powerful induced currents liable to be developed in them, if unconnected, during a thunder-storm.

The more rods on a building the better, especially if all are connected with each other near their upper ends.

Finally, in the way of general advice, we would say: Connect all your lightning-rods together, and also to your iron tank, and water, gas. or other pipes, not by separate connections, but so that there is some connection between all, which connection should be as high up as possible. If you have a metal roof, connect all rods with it. If the roof is not of metal, then connect your rods together by means of a good-sized conductor running along the ridge of the roof. Bear in mind that, to carry off the heaviest lightning-flash known, a copper rod one inch in diameter is not considered too large; and though of course such flashes are of very rare occurrence, they may come. Hence the great value of uniting your different rods high up.