| Show atmospheric atmospheric electricity tile the by rr franklin anklin and performed by DAli bard to Be benjamin Djamin franklin belongs the merit of having perceived that a direct experiment was needed deeded to prove what so far was only a guess in nn an article 11 entitled Op opinions illions and conjectures concerning the properties and effects of the ho electrical matter arising from frolic experiments and observations made at philadelphia 1749 the following passage occurs to determine ine the question whether tho the clouds that contain lightning ne aie electrified or not I 1 would mould propose 1 an I experiment to be tried where it can call bo be done conveniently on tile lie top of somo some high tower or steeple place a kind of fentry box big enough to contain a man luau and an elect electrical lical stand fro from in tho the midilla of the stand let itu an iron rod rise and pass bending out of tile door and then lieu upright 20 feet or SO feet pointed very sharp at tile tho end if tile electrical stand bo be kept clean an and dry it a man mail staD standing dlug on it when such clouds aro are passing low might be electrified and afford sparks the rud rod drawing fire to him biro from a cloud if any danger to the rua man I 1 should be apprehended though I 1 think abele would be none done let him stand on tile tha floor of his bis box and now dow and then bring near to tile the iod the ille loop p of n wito wiio that lias has one end fastened to the leads lc acl be holding it by awne a wax handle so the sparks if file bo rod bo be will mill strike from the rod to the be wire and not dot affect him the experiment suggested by franklin was successfully performed in marly france by DAli baid on may 10 1 1752 32 in london by canton in spital square on july 20 1752 1732 and by wilson in chelmsford essex on all aug 12 of the samo same year franklin himself described having used a 0 life kite in Phill philadelphia dellb in ill a a letter dated oct 19 without giving tile date of his observations ant B ut this must bo be supplied in sume sione passage which I 1 have not been ablo to find for rosell bosen berger der physia volume ume 2 page mentioned that it was dono done iu in june franklins disbelief in the dangerous character of the experiment must have received a severe shock eben lie ho heard of the death of G W who in the year 1763 1753 was killed by an all electric dischar dib discharge char e drawn from the clouds by means of a kite nature |
