large/9176/mentorbenjaminfranklin_1509_librivox_64kb_mp3/mentorbenjaminfranklin_05_hart_64kb_12
large/9176/mentorbenjaminfranklin_1509_librivox_64kb_mp3/mentorbenjaminfranklin_05_hart_64kb
English
9176
But his discovery of the nature of lightning was so striking and so capable of arousing the wonder of the masses of mankind and his invention of the lightning rod was regarded as so valuable that he has received more popular applause than men whose achievements were greater and more important. BUT HIS DISCOVERY OF THE NATURE OF LIGHTNING WAS SO STRIKING AND SO CAPABLE OF AROUSING THE WONDER OF THE MASSES OF MANKIND AND HIS INVENTION OF THE LIGHTNING ROD WAS REGARDED AS SO VALUABLE THAT HE HAS RECEIVED MORE POPULAR APPLAUSE THAN MEN WHOSE ACHIEVEMENTS WERE GREATER AND MORE IMPORTANT
 lightning with electricity. Some of the scientists used a tall metal rod. Franklin now thought of the kite experiment, because there were no steeples in Philadelphia tall enough. To an ordinary kite covered with silk he fixed a sharp, pointed wire, rising about a foot above the frame of the kite. To the end of the twine next the hand a silk ribbon was tied; and where the silk and twine joined a key was fastened. When the thunder-clouds passed over the kite, the pointed wire drew the electric fire from them, and down the string to the key, from which electric fire was obtained. This experiment was made in 1752; and the news, as contained in Franklin’s simple letter to Mr. Collinson, spread over the world, and with various theatrical embellishments in the telling. “Franklin,” writes one of his biographers, “cannot be ranked among the great men of science, the Newtons, the Keplers, or the Humboldts, Huxleys or Darwins. He belongs, rather, in the second class, among the minor discoverers. HE IDENTITY OF LIGHTNING WITH ELECTRICITY SOME OF THE SCIENTISTS USED A TALL METAL ROD FRANKLIN NOW THOUGHT OF THE KITE EXPERIMENT BECAUSE THERE WERE NO STEEPLES IN PHILADELPHIA TALL ENOUGH TO AN ORDINARY KITE COVERED WITH SILK HE FIXED A SHARP POINTED WIRE RISING ABOUT A FOOT ABOVE THE FRAME OF THE KITE TO THE END OF THE TWINE NEXT THE HAND A SILK RIBBON WAS TIED AND WHERE THE SILK AND TWINE JOINED A KEY WAS FASTENED WHEN THE THUNDER CLOUDS PASSED OVER THE KITE THE POINTED WIRE DREW THE ELECTRIC FIRE FROM THEM AND DOWN THE STRING TO THE KEY FROM WHICH ELECTRIC FIRE WAS OBTAINED THIS EXPERIMENT WAS MADE IN SEVENTEEN FIFTY TWO AND THE NEWS AS CONTAINED IN FRANKLIN'S SIMPLE LETTER TO MISTER COLLINSON SPREAD OVER THE WORLD AND WITH VARIOUS THEATRICAL EMBELLISHMENTS IN THE TELLING FRANKLIN WRITES ONE OF HIS BIOGRAPHERS CANNOT BE RANKED AMONG THE GREAT MEN OF SCIENCE THE NEWTONS THE KEPLERS OR THE HUMBOLDTS HUXLEYS OR DARWINS HE BELONGS RATHER IN THE SECOND CLASS AMONG THE MINOR DISCOVERERS
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