⚫ for the needle will get it and convey it away, "before it comes nigh enough for the punch ⚫ to act. And this is conftantly obfervable in thefe Experiments, that the greater quantity of Electricity on the pafteboard Tube, the farther it strikes or discharges its fire, and the point likewife will draw it off at a ftill greater diftance.

292. Now if the Fire of Electricity and that of Lightning be the fame, as I have en⚫deavour'd to fhew at large in a former Paper, this pasteboard Tube and these Scales may ⚫ reprefent electrified Clouds. If a Tube of only to Feet long will ftrike and discharge its fire on the punch at two or three Inches diftance, an electrified Cloud of perhaps 10,000 Acres may ftrike and discharge on the Earth at a proportionably greater diftance. The horizontal motion of the Scales over the floor, may represent the motion of the Clouds over the Earth; and the erect Iron punch a Hill or high Building, and then we fee how electrified Clouds paffing over Hills or high Buildings at too great a height to ftrike, may be attracted lower till within their ftriking distance. And laftly, if a Needle fixed on the punch with its point upright, or even on the floor below the punch, will draw the fire from the Scale filently at a much greater than the ftriking distance, and fo prevent its defcending towards the punch; or if in its courfe it would have come nigh enough to

* ftrike, yet, being first depriv'd of its Fire, it cannot, and the punch is thereby fecured from the stroke. I fay, if these things are fo, may not the Knowledge of this power of • Points be of use to mankind, in preferving Houses, Churches, Ships, &c. from the stroke of Lightning, by directing us to fix on the highest part of thofe Edifices, upright Rods of Iron made fharp as a needle, and gilt to prevent rufting, and from the foot of thofe • Rods a wire down the outfide of the Building into the ground, or down round one of the Shrouds of a Ship, and down her side till it reaches the water? Would not these pointed • Rods probably draw the electrical Fire filently out of a Cloud before it came nigh enough to ftrike, and thereby fecure us from that moft fudden and terrible mischief?

293. < Before I leave this Subject of Lightning, I may mention fome other fimilarities • between the effects of that, and these of Electricity. Lightning has often been known to * ftrike People blind. A Pigeon that we struck dead to appearance by the electrical shock, recovering Life, droop'd about the Yard feveral days, eat nothing, tho' crumbs were thrown to it; but declin'd and died. We did not think of its being depriv'd of Sight; but afterwards a Pullet being struck dead in like manner, and being recover'd by repeatedly blowing into its Lungs, when fet down on the floor, ran headlong against the Wall, and

on examination appeared perfectly blind. Hence we concluded that the Pigeon also ♦ had been abfolutely blinded by the shock.' See Dr. Franklin's Letters, p. 59. 60. &c.

294. That celebrated Electrician was fo firmly perfuaded of the good Effects of pointed Rods, if erected on lofty Buildings, that he put the fame into Practice as appears by the fol、 lowing extract.

LETTER X.

From Benjamin Franklin, Efq; of Philadelphia, October, 19th. 1752.

295. As frequent mention is made in the News Papers from Europe, of the Success of the Philadelphia Experiment for drawing the electric Fire from Clouds by means of pointed Rods of Iron, erected on high Buildings, &c. it may be agreeable to inform the curious, that the fame Experiment has fucceeded in Philadelphia, though made in a different and more eafy manner, which is as • follows:

296. Make a small cross of two light strips · of Cedar, the arms so long as to reach to the four corners of a large thin filk handkerchief ⚫ when extended; tie the corners of the hand• kerchief to the extremities of the cross, so you ⚫ have the Body of a Kite; which being properly • accommodated with a Tail, Loop, and String, • will rife in the Air like thofe made of Papers · but

but this being of Silk is fitter to bear the wind and wet of a Thunder Guft without tearing. To the top of the upright stick of the cross is to be fixed a very fharp pointed. wire, rifing a foot or more above the wood. To the end of the twine, next the hand, is to be tied a filk ribbon, and where the filk and twine join, a Key may be faften'd. This Kite is to be raised when a Thunder Guft appears. ⚫ to be coming on, and the Perfon who holds the ftring must stand within a Door, or Window, or under fome cover, fo that the filk • ribbon may not be wet; not be wet; and care muft be taken that the twine does not touch the frame of the Door or Window. As soon as any of the Thunder Clouds come over the Kite, the pointed wire will draw the electric fire from them, and the Kite with all the twine will be electrified, and the loofe filaments of the twine will stand out every way, and be attracted by ⚫ an approaching finger: And when the rain has wet the Kite and Twine, fo that it can conduct the electric fire freely, you will find it stream out plentifully from the Key on the approach of your knuckle. At this Key the Phial may be charged; and from electric fire thus obtain'd, Spirits may be kindled, and all - the other electric Experiments be perform'd, which are usually done by the help of a rubb'd glafs Globe or Tube; and thereby the fameness of the electric matter with that * of Lightning completely demonftrated... СНАР,

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CHAP. XV. PART I.

SECTION 297.

Particular Accounts of the Electrical Kite of M. de Romas; and of the Death of Profeffor Richmann.

M.

215 215

de Romas, Judge of the Prefidial Court of Nerac in Aquitain, and correfponding Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, fays, ' Being willing to try what would be the Effect of electrifying a Body raised to a confiderable height in the Air, I prepar'd a Paper Kite feven Feet five Inches high, and three Feet in its greatest breadth, its furface being about eighteen fquare Feet.' 298. The first trial I made with my Kite was on the 14th of May 1753; but tho' my • erect Bars were feveral times well electrified from the Atmosphere that day; yet I could not excite the least spark from the Kite, tho' I knew for certain, that it was perfectly infulated. After divers Reflexions, I concluded, that the reafon why I could excite no fparks from the string of the Kite, was, that as there was little rain, the hempen ftring was not • fufficiently wetted to make it a good Conduc tor, unless the Electricity were exceeding • strong.'