[ 20 + 3 
II. This method, wherever it has been employed, 
has hitherto perfectly anlwered the intention ; no 
houfe in Philadelphia, or in any other place I have 
heard of, having fuffered from the effects of light- 
ning, where this apparatus has been eredted. The 
improvements I fhould recommend would be, fir ft ; 
that, as iron wire foon becomes rufty, and when rufly 
to the center is unfit for the prefent purpofey and as 
brafs wire is, when long expofed to the weather, ex- 
ceedingly brittle and liable to fnap afunder, the wire 
fhould be of copper ; and of a fize not lefs than that 
of a large goofe quill. Secondly, I prefer it’s being 
conducted, from the rod at the top to the water be- 
low, on the outfide of the building, and thereby 
prevent the lightning from coming within the build- 
ing. On houfes, where there are gutters and fpouts 
of lead to carry off the rain, the wire need only be 
conduced to the lead of the gutters j and attention 
be had that the gutters and the fpouts coming from 
them are in their whole length in contadl, or very 
nearly fo, one with the other. If the leaden fpouts 
do not reach to the bottom of the building, a flip 
of lead, fuch as is employed for the gutters, and a- 
bout an inch wide, fnould be faftened to the bottom 
of one or two of the fpouts, and conducted to the 
water. If a flip of lead, fuch a one as has juft been 
mentioned, was to be conducted from the rod at top 
to the gutters, it might with equal advantage be fub- 
ftituted for the copper wire : or further, a flip of 
lead of this kind may be conne&ed with the rod at 
the top of the houfe j and, where there are no leaden 
gutters or fpouts, may be conducted on the outfide 
of the houfe down to the water, as I before menti- 
oned. 
