The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-06-22
Franklin's Famous Kite.


brought lightning down from the
skies has an idea that he used one Of
those graceful long tapering kites.
He didn't. Chief Mclaughlin, of the
electrical bureau, spent lot of time
at the Franklin institute digging in
to musty documents before he came
across the old philosophers descrip-
tion of the appliance.
The kite was square and the size
of large silk handkerchief with
which it was covered. It will be re-
| membered that Franklin set out to
control the static electricity in the
air. He knew what lightning woulo
| do and he wanted to harness it. His
| experiment was made on an autumn
day while a thunderstorm was rag
ing.
II want to make it clear to the
youngsters of today that they must
| not emulate Ben Franklin, for he
took his life in his hands," Chief Nc
Laughlin declared. THAT he him
self realized the danger is shown by
the fact that he did not grip the kite
string, but attached a dry silk rib
bon to the cord and stood in a shell
tered doorway so that the ribbon
could not get wet.
In other words, Ben Franklin, be-
ing an early advocated of prepared
ness, properly insulated himself
against any lightning bolt. Had he
taken hold of the damp string he
would have died much earlier and
his nation would have lost his yalua-
bic services in France.
"Franklin's kite was a simple af-
fair, but it was amazingly effective.
In principle it was running a light
ming rod thousand or more feet in
to the air, where the electrical dis
turbances were most violent. There
was a copper wire attached to the
kite. This was the tip of the light
ming rod and the kite cord was the
rod proper. The key was at the end
Of the string, so that the electricity
could easily jump to the wet ground.
AS l said before, the dry silk ribbon,
being a non-conductor of electricity,
gave him something to hold the kite
in safety.
1T must have been rafting good
sport for Ben Franklin to see the
copper tip attract the electricity from
the skies and watch the sparks as
they leaped from the key to the
earth. l can almost hear him say,
Now you're talkin',' as an extra
large flame flashed it's blush lights.
AT the present time the tallest
lightning conductor we have in Phil
adelphia is the statue of William
Penn. It silently absorbs thousands
of volts Of static electricity and by
means Of stout copper wires, which
are properly grounded, quietly di-
verts the charges into the ground.
Sometimes the statue is hit, but
it is so well grounded that no harm
can come to it or to City hall. The
only damage to the great statue is
due to the effect of time.
''The Penn statue as a lightning
rod that protects not only the city
hall, but probably other buildings in
the centre of the city is new idea
to most persons, and it is almost cer-
tain that so long as it is properly
linked to the earth by copper wires
the big building is not in danger Of
lightning. For this we must thank
Ben Franklin, the inventor Of the
lightning rod And here is his own
description of the kite that first
brought sparks from the sky. It is
dated October 10, 1852, and reads:
ga small cross of two light strips
of cedar, the arms so long as to reach
to the four corners of large thin
silk handkerchief; when extended by
the corners of the handkerchief to
the extremities of the cross you have
the body of the kite, which being
prepared with a tail, loop and string,
will rise in the air like those made Of
paper. This, being of silk. is fitted
to bear the wet and wind Of the thun-
der gusts without tearing.
"sAt the top of the kite sharp
pointed wire about one foot in length
is placed.
"'At the lower end of string key
is fastened between string and silk
ribbon.
"'One stands in doorway so ribbon
will not b. wet and when kite and
string are Yet fire will stream from
the key on the approach Of ones
knuckles. At key phial or Leyden
jar may be charged. ."-Philadelp