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We m Account of the BER of Lightning on two Houfes in 
the City of Philadelphia. In a Letter from the Hon. AR-- 
THOR Ler, Eff; F. 4. A. to the Hon. James BOWDOIN,- 
L.L.D: Pref. A. A. 
€— Philadelphia, July 29, 1781. 
SIR, ine 
WO houfes, in this city, have been lately ftruck with: 
lightning, attended with phenomena that are curious; 
and may be ufeful ; I therefore flatter myfelf, that an account 
of ‘them will be agreeable to your Society. 
On the 26th June, 1781, about ten o'clock at night, éli p- 
houfe in Market-ftreet, . called Mrs. Houfe's,. occupied by feve-- 
ral Members of Congrefs, was. ftruck by lightning, which en-- 
tered” through the ceiling of the garret, leaving what appear ex-- > 
actly like two bullet-holes. It then glanced along the door; 
tracing its paffage by, a blackifh line, in an.oblique diré€tion, to 
an iron hinge; and paffing from the uppermoft linge to the ^ 
lowett, pierced thro’ the ceiling into. the room below. T where; 4 
meeting immediately with the bell-wire,. it was.co: by 
it, through ‘all the chambers down t two- ftories, till: ‘it : ehded: at 
the:bell, which bung over a back door near the kitchen ;. and: 
its conductor ending. thire,. it {plit-the door. to. pieces: - From: 5 
this bell there was a wire which fhould:have gone to the ftreet 
door, but was s broke + “yet where the bell -handle gia was? 
AIFA i 
Was folic to ‘pieces. . d is- para Pa that diis Was a fe“ 
parate portion | of the electrical fluid; which was attracted by the ^ 
iron Tod which. “formed the bell-handle out-fide of the door. 
The 
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