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Near the fame time, that the mifchief was done to 
St. Bride’s church, the mad of his Majefty’s ihip Ra- 
maillies, lying at Chatham, wasfplit and torn to pieces 
by the lightening. This is the lefs extraordinary, 
as, from its height, figure, and condituent parts, the 
malt of a fhip flops the progrefs of lightening much 
more than edifices of the fame height, madeof brick 
or flone. This therefore feems to require particular 
attention ; but upon this head I fully explained my- 
felf in my letter to the late Lord Anfon and fhall 
therefore decline faying any thing further of it in this 
place. 
I flatter myfelf, that what has here lately happened 
will tend to occafion the applying of an apparatus of 
this fort to all buildings, at lead, of value and ex- 
tent. No fteeple fhould certainly be without it ; and 
in mod, if the iron work of the weather-cock can 
be eafily got at, it may be adapted with very little 
trouble or expence. It is only neceffary to make a 
metallic communication between this iron work and 
the lead, which carries off the water. This fre- 
quently reaches to the ground or very near it. From 
the bottom of this, the metallic communication 
fhould continue to the neared water, or at lead to 
very moid ground ; though where it can be procured, 
water fhould be preferred. Care mud be taken like- 
wife, that metallic communications be added to fuch 
parts of the lead, which ferve to convey the water 
from the top, as do not already touch or come near 
each other. And thefe may be either of lead, or of 
copper wire, fuch as I have before mentioned. In 
thunder dorms attended with rain, fufficient in quan- 
* Philofophical Tranfadlions, Vol. LII, p. 629. 
