[ 54 1 ] 
chamber, and the iron wire, after feveral turnings? 
was again brought thither. I had difpofed of this- 
wire in luch a manner, that, if the ftorm fhould 
come in the night, or if it happen’d by day, I had it 
in my power to obferve ail I propofed, without 
quitting my bed on the one hand, or leaving my 
bufmefs on the other. 
The ftorm came at 5 in the evening; and although 
I had not yet time enough to form a fufticient ma- 
gazine of electricity, I had neverthelefs very fatisfac- 
tory ftgns. The perfon, who held the iron wire, felt 
a commotion ; and, at the fame inftant, filken ri- 
bands were attracted by the eleCtrical magazine. 
There came on a great ihower of rain and hail, 
which wetted the relin in the glafs tube, that fup- 
ported my bar j and after that I had no more figns 
of eleCtricity. 
The fame thing happen’d in the garden ; where 
the filken cords, which, in feveral places, interrupted 
the communication of the eleCtrifed bodies with the 
non-eleCtrics, having been wet, fenftbly diminifhed 
the defired effeCt. The eleCtricity, however, was 
very ftrong before the rain fell 3 and the commo- 
tions were felt at about a foot diftance : but the 
ftorm only paffed by, and lafted no more in the 
whole than two or three minutes. 
Hence, Sir, it follows,' that the eleCtrical maga- 
zine is an important object in experiments of this 
kind. I do not even doubt, but that, by placing 
guns and bars of iron, in great numbers, in places 
adjacent to the wooden pole, we might even come 
to kill animals, and verify all the furprifmg pheno- 
mena, that thunder has produced for fo many ages. 
This 
