VOL. LIV.3 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 137 



St. Bride's steeple was owing to the efforts of the lightning, after it had possessed 

 the apparatus of the weathercock, endeavouring to force itself a passage from 

 thence to the iron work, employed in the steeple. As this must be done per 

 saltum, there being no regular metallic communication, it is no wonder, when 

 its force is vehement, that it rends every thing which is not metallic, that ob- 

 structs its easy passage ; and in this particular instance, the ravages increased as 

 the lightning to a certain distance came down the steeple. To procure this easy 

 passage, and avert the ravage occasioned by the want of it, in future, as much 

 as our present knowledge in these matters will enable us to do, I cannot suf- 

 ficiently recommend metallic communications between the metal at the top and 

 water, either as has been before mentioned, or in any other convenient manner, 

 taking care not to be too frugal of the metal employed. This was first suggested 

 by Dr. Franklin ; and since much used in Philadelphia, and other parts of 

 North America. 



Near the same time that the mischief was done to St. Bride's church, the 

 mast of his Majesty's ship Ramillies, lying at Chatham, was split and torn to 

 pieces by the lightning. This is the less extraordinary, as, from its height, 

 figure, and constituent parts, the mast of a ship stops the progress of lightning 

 much more than edifices of the same height, made of brick or stone. This 

 therefore seems to require particular attention ; but on this head I fully explained 

 myself in my letter to the late Lord Anson,* and shall therefore decline saying 

 any thing further of it in this place. 



I flatter myself, that what has here lately happened will tend to occasion the 

 applying of an apparatus of this sort to all buildings, at least of value and ex- 

 tent. No steeple should certainly be without it ; and in most, if the iron work 

 of the weather-cock can be easily got at, it may be adapted with very little 

 trouble or expence. It is only necessary to make a metallic communication be- 

 tween this iron work and the lead, which carries off^ the water. This frequently 

 reaches to the ground or very near it. From the bottom of this, the metallic 

 communication should continue to the nearest water, or at least to very moist 

 ground ; though where it can be procured, water should be preferred. Care 

 must be taken likewise, that metallic communications be added to those parts of 

 the lead which serve to convey the water from the top, as do not already touch 

 or come near each other. And these may be either of lead or of copper wire, 

 such as before mentioned. In thunder-storms attended with rain, sufficient in 

 quantity to run off in streams, a groat portion of the electric matter runs off in, 

 and is dissipated by, these streams ; and buildings are thus preserved from 

 damage. 



* Pliilos. Trans. Abridged, vol. xi. page 660, 

 VOL. XII. T 



