PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. 135 



foundation of the chimney: Four per- 

 fons were in the houfe, and one within a 

 few feet of the chimney. They were 

 ftunned with the noife, which was ex- 

 tremely great ; but otherwife received no 



hurt. . 



The third inftance, I lately received an 

 account of from Mr Kinnerfley, an inge- 

 nious elearician of Philadelphia, which I 

 fliall give you in his own words, from his 

 letter to me, dated March 21. 17^1. 



* We had four houfes in this city, and a 



* veffel at one of the wharfs, ftruck and da- 



* maged by lightning laft fummer ; one 



* of the houfes was ftruck twice in the 



* fame ftorm. But I have the pleafure 



* to inform you, that our method of pre- 



* venting fuch terrible difafters has, by a 

 *faa which like to have efcaped our 

 'knowledge, given a very convincing 



* proof of its great utility, and is now m 



* higher repute with us than ever. 



* Hearing a few days ago, that Mr Wil- 



* liam Weft merchant in this city, fufpeaed 

 ■ * that the lightning, in one of thethunder- 



* ftorms laft fummer, had paffed through 



* the 



