Thunder and Lightning

s known about thunderstorms was that they occurred pretty well

ons the exact degrees of relationship between lightning and the sparks given out by machines, in

of extracting electricity from the c

, his noble character, and his devotion to his country, has won

candle manufacturer, a journeyman printer, the head of a big printing firm in Philadelphia, deputy to Congress, an ambassador, and finally President of the Assembly of the States of Pennsylvani

of electricity. Here is his own account of the memorable exper

Shortly after my return to Philadelphia, our librarian received as a gift from Pierre Collinson, a member of the Royal Society of London, a tube of glass, together with certain written instructions as to the way in which it should be used for experiments. I seized eagerly on

ing, for instance-served as an attraction to lightning and guided it into the way prepared for it. He had been looking eagerly to the erection of a clock-tower which was being built at this time at Philadelphia; but, tired of waiting and anxi

n the first time there was a storm. He was accompanied only by his son. Fearing the ridicule that is showered upon failure, he did not take any one else into his confi

a slight rustling could be heard. Franklin now touched the end of the string with his finger, and instantly a spark was given out, followed quickly

immense sensation throughout the world, and was repe

tal throughout the whole length of the string, which was 260 metres. Later, in 1757, de Romas repeating his experiments during a storm, secured sparks of a surprising size. "Imagine before you," he said, "lances of fire nine or ten feet in length and an inch thick, and making as much noise as pistol shots. In less than an hour I

uctors to public and private buildings for their protection, and achieving marvellous results

st to go in for lightning-conductors. There were, indeed, signs of strong hostility to their introduction. It was held even that they went against the designs of Providence. In 1766, the Abbé Poncelet, in his work entitled "La Nature dans la formation d

Sciences, and friend and admirer of Franklin, the Louvre was endowed with the first light

it has been further added to in 1854, 1867, and 1903. These instructions point out that the most important metallic portions of the building should be placed in communication with the conductor, and this should sink into a well. Condu

lly charged. It is dangerous to bury the conductor in merely damp soil; first, because one generally does not know whether there is enough of this soil; secondly, because one cannot be sure that the humidity will be sufficient at

s a hundred and sixty-eight cases in which the conductor has been struck, and in only twenty-seven instances of these (one-sixth of the whole) have the conductors, from some gra

times the length of the conductor above the roof. Thus a conductor standing out five yards will protect an area stretching only about fift

the number of conductors has been insufficient

catch the lightning. This system, the invention of a Belgian physicist, M. Melsens, decreases considerably

rom lightning ever since, whereas previously this building had been struck by lightning several times in spite

H?tel Evigné, and other buildings in Pa

ned to be up it at the time has ever suffered any damage therefrom. The lightning strikes the conductor sometimes from out

silk umbrellas without iron ribs, and clothes of indiarub

ng, so to speak, on the brain, it is well

cipal one is not t

elegraph posts, so as to avoid contact

an excellent route for the fluid, it is well not t

the neighbourhood of animals, in vie

der to avoid draughts. It is well to keep away from

caprices. It is this that m