Franklin speculated that , with an iron rod sharpened to a point , `` The electrical fire would , I think , be drawn out of a cloud silently , before it could come near enough to strike ... '' Franklin speculated about lightning rods for several years before his reported kite experiment .
Franklin thought that , with an iron rod sharpened to a point at the end , `` The electrical fire would , I think , be drawn out of a cloud silently , before it could come near enough to strike ( ... ) . ''