[ 339 ] 
pipe to the iron bar at the bottom; where, by an explo- 
fion, it burft a hole in the pipe, in palling from one me- 
tal to the other; and then went down the iron rod to the 
ground, flowing with water. It feems to me, according 
to the fituation and direction of the cloud, being nearer 
to the gutters than the condudlor, that they a£ied as con- 
dudiors ; and that the condudtor itielf was not in the leait 
affeched by the flroke ; and that had there been conduc- 
tors on the chimnies (ad-ndh) they would have conveyed 
the eledtric fluid to the ground, wdthout any damage to 
the houfe : or had there not been a continuation of me- 
tal from the gutters. Sec. to the earth, it would have da- 
maged the houfe all the w^ay down. There was another 
divifion of the explofion, wdiich, I imagine, came down 
the chimney, and ftruck to a bell-wire in the palTage, 
and deflroyed the ware to its end, w^hich happened to be 
juft within- fide the wall, where the water-pipe was with- 
out; and there it made a fmall hole, in the joint of the 
bricks of an eighteen-inch wall, to the pipe ; and then 
paffed to the earth with the reft. I think this accident is 
no proof whatever of the preference of balls or points 
as terminations of condudlors. Thus, sir, ! have en- 
deavoured to anfw’^er every one of your queries ; wdiich, 
if fatisfadlory, will give pleafure to, &c. 
N. B. The pricked line in the figure fhews where the 
lightning paffed quietly, having a fuffident fubflance 
of metal to pafs through. The curved line fliews wdiere 
it broke every tiring. The diagonal lines are all lead. 
LETTER 
