BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 75 



two or three inches distance, an electrified cloud of perhaps ten thou- 

 sand acres may strike and discharge on the earth at a proportionately 

 greater distance. 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 see how electrified 

 clouds, passing over hills or high buildings at too great a height to 

 strike, may be attracted lower till within their striking distance, And, 

 lastly, 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 silently at 

 a much greater than the striking distance, and so prevent its descend- 

 ing towards the punch; or if in its course it would have come nigh 

 enough to strike, yet being first deprived of its fire it cannot, and 

 the punch is thereby secured from the stroke ; I say, if these things are 

 so, may not the knowledge of this power of points be of use to man- 

 kind, in preserving houses, churches, ships, &c., from the stroke of 

 lightning, by directing us to fix, on the highest parts of those edifices, 

 upright rods of iron made sharp as a needle, and gilt to prevent 

 rusting, and from the foot of those rods a wire down the outside 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 silently out of a cloud 

 before it came nigh enough to strike, and thereby secure us from that 

 most sudden and terrible mischief ? 



To determine the question, whether the clouds that contain light- 

 ning are electrified or not, I would propose an experiment to be tried 

 where it may be done conveniently. On the top of some high tower 

 or steeple, place a kind of sentry-box, . . . big enough to contain a 

 man and an electrical stand. From the middle of the stand let an 

 iron rod rise and pass bending out of the door, and then upright 

 twenty or thirty feet, pointed very sharp at the end. If the electrical 

 stand be kept clean and dry, a man standing on it, when such clouds 

 are passing low, might be electrified and afford sparks, the rod 

 drawing fire to him from a cloud. If any danger to the man should 

 be apprehended (though I think there would be none), let him stand 

 on the floor of his box, and now and then bring near to the rod the 

 loop of wire that has one end fastened to the leads, he holding it by 

 a wax handle, so the sparks, if the rod is electrified, will strike from 

 the rod to the wire, and not affect him. 



