[ 310 3 
der. I was then in an open fhop,' not more than 
200 yards from Mr. Worsfold’s houfe, where it did 
the damage. Several perfons, who were nearer, faw 
at the fame time, in different places about the houfe, 
large balls of fire, which, as they fell upon the 
houfes or ground, divided into innumerable diredions. 
I fhould have mentioned, that the wind was fouth- 
ward during the whole ftorm. 
The lightning entered Mr. Worsfold’s houfe up- 
on the fouth fide of the roof, clofe in a fmall angle 
of a ftack of chimneys, that fland out feveral feet 
above the tiling, and falling perpendicular through 
the roof, met with a fmall crank, which was in a 
paffage between the north and fouth chambers : To 
which Clank hung a bell, and from the crank went a 
wire both ways into the two chambers. It ran along 
the wire, that went into the back or fouth chambe^ 
melting it to the end, and, wlien it left it, fplit the 
poft of a bed, that flood in the chamber, as though 
it had been cleft with wedges. It followed the courfe 
of the other wire into the north chamber, which 
turned towards the eafl, and went partly round the 
room, following its diredion in every angle where the 
wire went till it reached the end, which was joined 
by a firing, to which hung a handle for ringing the 
bell, it being clofe by the fide of the bed: but 
the greatefl force bf the lightning feemed to fall per- 
pendicular down the fide of a wall in the chamber. 
Againfl the chimney were hung feveral barometers, 
the glaffes of which were all fhattered to pieces, and 
* Thefe wires conduaing the lightning, as far as they went, 
confirms Mr. Franklin’s opinion, that if they had been extended 
to the earth, the great damage, that enfued, might have been pre- 
vented. 
