What is Meteorology?

The elusive but destructive nature of lightning strikes was a curious meteorological phenomenon that fascinated natural philosophers. During the eighteenth century, scientific investigations into, for example, electrical discharges of Leyden jars, helped philosophers understand how electricity worked. Leyden jars stored static electricity generated from a rotating glass sphere and were regularly used in laboratory studies of electricity and its effects (above).

One practical application of the Leyden jar required the use of a thunder-house (Image 1). Electricity emitted from the sky as lightning presented practical safety concerns, particularly for military stocks of gunpowder magazines. Thunder-houses were demonstration models which were used to show the dangers of a lightning strike and how to protect people and property against such meteorological events.

Lightning rods, as attached to the top of the thunder-house, grounded the building's structure and prevented explosion and fire if struck. To dramatically demonstrate their effect, a Leyden jar was suspended above the thunder-house and slowly lowered until there was an electrical discharge. Without the lightning rod, the electricity would pass through the building and the hinged walls of the model house would fall outward (or, for a more dramatic effect, explode if the house had been primed with gunpowder). When the pointed lightning rod was attached the house, the Leyden jar would discharge to the rod without sparking and pass to earth, thus saving the structure and its contents from harm.