CHAPTER XX 



PROTECTION FROM LIGHTNING 



A FLASH of lightning is one of the most 

 feared of nature's manifestations of power ; 

 and yet by the use of proper precautions its 

 ability to injure persons and property can be 

 lessened greatly. Speculations as to the nature 

 of lightning were vague until Benjamin Franklin 

 boldly sent a kite into the teeth of a storm 

 and tapped the accumulated electricity in the 

 cloud to charge one of his storage jars. He 

 connected the cloud with his jar by a wire 

 made of a material which he knew would 

 conduct the electrical chargt., and at the same 

 time he took the precaution not to hold the 

 end o-f this wire himself. He introduced be- 

 tween the end of the wire and his hand a 

 piece of silk cord, which is a non-conductor of 

 electricity. Had he taken hold of the end of 

 the wire, the charge would have passed through 

 him with probably fatal results. 



What is lightning? One naturally inquires 

 for the reason of this storage of electrical 

 energy in the clouds. The explanation is not 



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