528 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1754. 



apparatus at the top of the house to the door, and then into the chamber, does 

 not, as far as can be collected, appear. 



If indeed it could be ascertained, that the lightning, which was the death of 

 Professor Richman, was collected on the apparatus, for this reason, because these 

 bodies, at the instant of the lightning, were capable of attracting and retaining 

 the electricity, it would then be in our power sometimes to divert the effects of 

 lightning. But of this fact, more time and longer experience must acquaint us 

 with the truth. 



Hence Mr. Pinckney may acquaint Dr. Lining, that in Mr. Watson's opinion, 

 at the time Professor Richman was killed, his apparatus was perfectly insulated, 

 and had no communication with the earth, by the means of metallic or other 

 substances, readily conducting electricity, and that the great quantity of electri- 

 city, with which, from the vastness of the cause, the apparatus was replete, dis- 

 charged itself through the Professor's body, being the nearest non-electric sub- 

 stance in contact with the floor, and was unfortunately the cause of his death. 

 This, it is presumed, would not have happened, had the chain, or any other part 

 of the ap})aratus, touched the floor, by which the electricity would have been 

 readily communicated to the earth. 



Since the reading of the above to the Royal Society, a treatise in Latin, inti- 

 tled, Oratio de Meteoris vi Electrica Ortis, by Mr. Lomonosow, of the Royal 

 Academy of Sciences at Petersburg, has been transmitted to the Society. By 

 this, among many other curious facts, we have been informed of certain parti- 

 culars in regard to the death of Professor Richman ; of which the following may 

 not be improper to be inserted here. 



Mr. Lomonosow observes, that with regard to the sudden death of the gen- 

 tleman before-mentioned, the accounts, communicated to the public, contained 

 some circumstances not fairly stated, and others of some importance were en- 

 tirely omitted. With regard to the first, it is incontestably true, that the win- 

 dow, in the room where Professor Richman was, (a) fig. 6, had continued shut, 

 that the wind might have no effect on his electrometer; but that the window in 

 the next room (efdg) was open, and the door (d), between these two rooms, was 

 half open; so that the draught of air might justly be suspected to have followed 

 the direction of the iron conductor of the Professors apparatus; that this con- 

 ductor came from the top of the house at (i), and was continued to (h) and (b). 

 2dly. That this conductor was not placed far from that door-case, part of which 

 was torn off". 3dly. That at this time no use was made of the Leyden bottle, 

 mentioned in the preceding account; but the iron was inserted into a glass stand, 

 to prevent the dissipation of the electrical power, and that the gnomon should 

 show its real strength. 



With regard to the 2d, there has as yet been no mention, that Professor 



