C “3 ] 
XIV. A Litter from Mr. Edward Nairne, F. R. S. to Sir Jofepb 
Banks, Bart. P . R. S. containing an Account of Wire being 
fixr tcned by Lightning . 
Read February 3, 1782, 
s 1 R, 
I N the Philofophical Tranfadtions for the year 1780, voL 
LXX. are printed home experiments of mine, (hewing the 
method of (hortening of wire by the effect of electricity. I 
have lince met with a fimilar circumffance produced by light- 
ning ; and, if the following account Ihould meet with your ap- 
probation, thou Id be happy to have it communicated to the 
Society. 
On the 1 8th of June, 1782, Mr. parkler’s houfe at Stoke 
Newington was (truck by lightning, between two and three 
o’clock in the afternoon. The lightning paffed down the 
leaden pipe without fide the houie, which pipe did not reach 
to the ground by about ten feet. Here the lightning (truck 
from one of the nails which fattened this leaden pipe to the 
wall to the end of a crank iron that was drove in the wall op- 
pofite it, with in fide the room, and to which was fattened the 
wire of a night-bolt, rather thicker than ufual. This wire 
was fo very loofe before the accident happened, that the bolt 
could not be raifed by the handle at the bed-fide, fo that they 
were obliged every night to take hold of the bolt itfelt to lift 
it up to fatten the door ; but on the night after the accident 
had happened, they, on going to bed, went to raife the bolt 
up as uiual, to fecure their chamber-door, when, to their 
great 
