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102 Remarks on Lightning Rods. 



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neceffity of providing a remedy for them ; for we witnefs the 

 lightnhig conftantly palling from one part of the cloud to the 

 other, and tliereby producing an equilibrium. 



The elcclrical fluid being' thus contpJned within the fphcrc 



of the cloud, there is an emptying or attraflive diftance, wdiich 

 is larger than tlie flriking diflance ; and a condudlor brought 

 within that attra(5live diflance of the fphere, would empty tlie 

 whole cloud. This being the cafe, it appears to me a great 



miflake to place rods for condu(5lors, liigh in the air, above the 

 objecft we vARi to protecfl, for it is well known that no objedl 



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will be fo foon ftricken as the conduflor. 



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Under tKefe clrc\imftances, ^ve mul!l have a flrong propen- 



fity for emptying clouds, to run our condudlor €o high in the 

 air as to empty die higheft clouds that fhould pafs, and there- 

 by expofe them to the fti*iking diflance, when nine out of ten 

 would pafs us, and not even come within attrad:ive or empty- 

 ing diflance, provided our conduclors were placed but a fmall 



height above the objedl we wiih to protedl. The only reafon 

 I conceive, that can be offered in favour of carr^^ng conduc- 

 tors high in the air, is to meet and empty the cloud fooner ; 



but tins appears to me an inaccurate mode of reafoning ; for 

 if ever a condudor fails to afford protedion, it is when a cloud 

 highly charged, approaches fo rapidly upon the point, that 

 before there is time for it to be emptied, the point is brought 

 within flriking diflance, and is then unable to carry off the 

 quantit}^ thrown upon it i therefore, if the point is placed high 



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