Lightning on:two Houfes in Philadelphia. 240 
xection, from one to the other, but not fallen off. At the front 
door, in the corner, about two feet from the floor, the plaifter 
is broke off, as at 7, in the other end.of the paffage : + but there 
is an apparent trace of the lightning on the bricks, in a blueifh 
mark. ‘There is no communication between this and the wire, 
which runs along the ceiling over it fixteen or feventeen feet dif- 
tant ; nor any iron near, except it be the back of the fire-place 
on the other fide ef the wall, oppofite to where the plaifter is 
beaten off. In the dining-room, the wires melted from o to p, 
and again from g to 7 ; all the remainder being entire, and the 
reft of the wire, in the other parts of the houfe, and the out- 
fide, uninjured. The pieces of wire that fell on the floor, burnt 
deep holes init. The conducter being examined, was found - 
to be in good order; but the point, which was copper, was 
melted fo as to form. a fort of button; which had not that de- 
gree of brightnefs, which thofe, fkilled in the fufion of cop- 
per, fay this metal preferves for fome time after its having been 
melted. This effe& upon the point appears, therefore, to be 
of an older date. The condu&or is about half an inch diame- 
ter,—enters about two feet into the ground, and is fixt to the 
wall by fix iron ftaples ; none of which are nearly oppofite to 
the wire in the dining-room. Mrs. Shippen felt an electrical 
(hock as the ftood in the paffage up fairs, with her hand on an 
iron latch. .'Thefe are the faéts ;—and the electricians here dif- 
fer in their opinions, about the manner of the electrical fluid's 
meeting with the bell-wire. . Some think it defcended through 
he conductor ; but being in a greater quantity than the earth 
would immediately receive, part. quitted the conductor, and 
.. paffed. through the wall to the wire neareft the condu&or, The 
| Jue nd dl (UE et feems to lead to this i: 
but 
d 
