C 165 ] 
in the ftone-work of the lanthern. The upper ends 
ot each of thefe oblique iron bars pafs through the 
frame of timber before mentioned, and are fattened 
to its upper furface with iron nuts and fcrews. Be- 
tween thefe iron bars and the leaden covering of the 
great dome, there is at prefent no metallic communi- 
cation. To this arrangement, therefore, is owing the 
danger from lightning, which the Committee appre- 
hends that this part of the building is liable to. To 
obviate which, we are of opinion, that four additional 
iron bars, each not lefs than an inch fquare, fhould 
be fecurely placed over the frame of timber before 
mentioned in fuch a manner, that one end of each 
of thele four additional iron bars may be in contadl 
with one of the perpendicular iron rods, and the 
other end of each be in contadl with one of the iron 
nuts and ferew’s, which fatten the obliquely de- 
feending iron bars to this frame of timber. At the 
bottom of thefe oblique iron bars, juft above where 
they are inferted into the ttone-work, the Committee 
recommends, that a ring, made of bar iron, of about 
an inch fquare, fhould be placed fo as to be fattened to, 
and be in cpntad: with, thefe iron bars. 
From this propofed ring to the upper part of the 
lead which covers the great cupola, the diftance is 
about forty-eight feet. In this fpace, we are of opi- 
nion, that four iron bars fliould be placed, each not 
lefs than an inch fquare. Thefe fliould be fixed with- 
in the lanthern in fuch a manner, that the upper end 
of each fhould be fattened to, and in contad; with,, 
the iron ring before mentioned, and their lower ends 
in contad with the lead on the upper part of the cu- 
pola 5 -from which the metallic communication is, 
compleat 
