The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-03-04
Franklin and The
Lightning Rod

One day in July, in 1852, two men
one about 45 years Of age and the
other 22-were seen vending their
way to a cow shed in Philadelphia,
not very far distant from where now
stands the great City Hall. The
younger OF the two men carried un
der his arm bottle and the other
kite, which was made of silk
handkerchief and from the end Of the
central upright stick there extended
a piece of iron wire, sharpened at
the end.
The day had been bright and sun
ny, but from the north had come
great black clouds, which were seen
to be gathering fast, and a heavy
thunderstorm was undoubtedly near
at hand. There were rumblings Of
thunder in the air. The wind was
strong and the silken kite, after u
few attempts at raising, caught the
current and sailed upward, while the
young man, stepping into the COW
shed, set down the bottle and then
stood watching his fathers kite.
This man was BENJAMIN Franklin
and his assistant was his son. The
storm came and the two anxiously
watched the kite and the thunder
clouds. The kite had been raised
on a strong hempen string, attached
to which was silken string, from
which hung a big door key.
Finally a big cloud came sailing
over the kite. mo lightning in that
father" exclaimed the young man. 1t
seemed for a while as II they were
beaten, If their desires depended up.
on the lightning for there appeared
no electricity in that black cloud.
But they waited patiently. Long
they waited.
Suddenly the father observed that
the fibers of the hempen string be-
gan to rise and calling his son he
requested him to put the Leyden jar
close to the key. The son did as lie
was told and the jar was charged
with electricity drawn from the
thunder cloud. The philosopher had
proved his theory. He had actually
drawn the lightning from heaven. He
had demonstrated the fact that eles
tricity did exist in and could be cap
tured from the clouds.
At last the clouds broke the res
ervoir was exhausted the wet kite
was hauled in and father and son
| went back to their home drenched,
but happy to publish to the world the
success Of the great experiment OF
Benjamin Franklin-a success that
was to startle and arouse the whole
scientific world of that day.
From that philosophical kite ex-
pertinent the world fame of Benjamin
Franklin was established. Two years
previous to this experiment Peter
Collnson, of the Royal Society, Lon
don sent a Leyden jar to the Library
Society Of Philadelphia with instru:.
lions how to use 1t. This was the
jar used by Franklin in his expert
ment., 1t was the use OF this jar
that convinced him of the identity oil
lightning and electricity.
Franklin's original plan to demon
strate this theory was to erect on
some high tower, or other elevated
place, a sentry box, from which
should rise pointed iron rod, insu'
lated by being fixed to a cake of res
in. Electrified clouds passing over
this, would be conceived, impart to
IL a portion of their electricity,
which would be rendered evident TO
the senses by sparks being emitted
when key, a knuekle or other con-
ductor was presented to 1t.
But Philadelphia offered no oppor'
tunity at this time for the trying OF
an experiment of this kind. He was
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