Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-07-16


electric telegraph rs an instance IN which
lightning is manufactured and directed a
the will of man to communicate intelligence
under the sea and over the land to the re-
motest parts Of civilizations. The honor o.
first successfully employing this wonder
full agent for this purpose also belongs te
an American cilizen--Professor Morse
And we predict that at no distant day that
the nature of electricity will be better un-
derstood, and will be employed as an Geo.
nomical mechanical motor. and in great
degree supercede the use OF steam.
In making his experiments upon electric
ity, the great desire of Franklin, was to
discover some means by which it could be
made useful to mankind. The experiments
by which he In some degree realized,
his wish, in the invention of the
lightning-rod. are not without interest
to the young reader. He suspended large
conductor by silk lines from the ceiling Of
his room, and charged it with electricity.
so as to enable it to give spark at the
distance of TWO inches. strong enough, as
he said, "to make ones knuckles ache."-
When presenting the point of needle at
more than a foot distant, no electricity
would be retained upon it. all passed off by
the needle as fast as it was supplied. II
in the dark, the light was visible on the
point of the needle He also represented
an electrified cloud by suspending pair
of brass scales with beam two feet long.
The cords of the scales being silk, he sus-
pended the beam by hemp twine from
the ceiling, SO that the bottom of the scales
were about one foot from the floor; the
scales move around in circle by the un-
twisting of the twine He then set on
end an iron punch, about one inch thick,
on the floor, 80 that the scales would pass
over 1t in making the circle, then electrify-
ing one scale by applying the wire of a
charged machine 10 it. As they moved
around, the scales were attracted by the
punch and would discharge their FIRE into
it. He then set needle on the end of the
punch, its point upwards; the scales, in
stead of drawing nigh to the punch, and
swapping, discharged its ligh ming silently
through the point, while the scales rose
higher from the punch, showing that point
ed steel will draw the electricity at great
er distance than piece of blunt metal will
In this interesting experiment, the scales
and ceiling represented he cloud; and tie
ease and silence with which the electric
fluid was drawn off by the needle. suggest
ed to he mind of the sagacious philoso-
pher, the idea of lightning rods. For,
says he, "ie these things are so. may not
the knowledge of this power of points be
useful to mankind. in preserving houses.
churches, ships. &c, from the strokes of
lightning, by directing to fix ON the high
est parts of these edi6ces upright rods of
iron, made sharp. to prevent rusting"
Franklin sent an account of this and
other experiments and suggestions. illus
trating similar views, to London, which
were read before the committee of the Roy
al Society. These ideas were then regard
ed by these wise men as wild and absurd
and were received with laughter and were
not considered worthy of being placed in
the philosophical Transactions" But
they were soon verified, and were subse-
quently published in London and went
through several editions.
In June, 1852, Franklin, in order the
more clearly to establish his theory of
lightning, made the following interesting
experiments: He made small kite, in
the form usually adopted by the boys of
the present day. but instead of paper he
used silk handkerchief, that it might not
be injured by the rain; the tail, loop, and
a string were attached in the usual form.
To the top of the upright stick or "back
bone" of the kite, he fixed sharp pointed
wire, rising foot or more above the wood.
To the end Of tie twine next the hand he
tied silk ribbon, (silk as we have said
being non-conductor, prevented the cleo
tricity from descending to his hand, and
where the silk and twine Joined he fasten-
ed a key. When he discovered the ap-
proach of thunder-gust, accompanied on
ly by his son, he repaired to the fields near
Philadelphia, and sent his messenger to
the clouds. He then stationed himself un-
der shed, SO that the ribbon held In his
hand might remain dry. and prevent the
passage Of the electricity to his hand. AS
soon as the cloud came over and the twine
became wet with rain, the electric fluid was
attracted by the pointed wire and descen-
ded the string to the key, causing the fla
ments of the twine TO stand out in every
direction. He then applied his knuckle to