a66  Papers  relative  to  an  Accident 
grounded  end  was  {truck.  But  as  its  diftance  from  the 
cylinder,  at  that  inftant,  was  only  one  quarter  of  an  inch 
lefts  than  the  diftance  at  which  the  point  had  been  ftruck, 
I fhall  take  no  farther  notice  of  it  in  this  place;  becaufe, 
the  fevera'l  ftriking  diftances  of  thofe  different  termina- 
tions will  (in  another  part  of  this  paper)  be  correctly  af- 
certained,  in  a different  manner,  by  other  experiments. 
We  are  now  to  examine,  whether  the  ftroke  by  light- 
ning, which  happened  at  Purfleet,  fell  firft  upon  the 
corner  of  the  building  where  the  cramps  were  affected, 
as  hath  been  reprefented;  or  whether  it  did  not  fall  upon 
the  point  of  the  conductor  itfelf  ? And  if  it  fell  upon  the 
point,  how  could  it  poffibly  affe6t  thofe  cramps,  as  they 
had  no  metallic  communication  with  the  main  conductor 
which  extended  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of  the  houfe, 
and  of  which  the  gutter  below  the  parapet,  that  was 
neareft  to  the  cramps,  made  a part  ? 
It  muft  be  remembered,  that  though  in  attempting  an 
experiment  of  this  kind,  we  are  provided  with  an  appa- 
ratus, greater  perhaps  than  was  ever  conftrudted  before ; 
yet,  great  as  it  is,  it  bears  but  a very  l’mall  proportion  to 
that  which  nature  makes  ufe  of.  On  this  account,  we 
muft  expect  but  very  faint  appearances  compared  with 
thofe  which  are  produced  by  a thunder-cloud.  But,  be- 
fore we  relate  thefe  appearances,  it  may  be  proper  firft  to 
fee 
