large/9176/mentorbenjaminfranklin_1509_librivox_64kb_mp3/mentorbenjaminfranklin_05_hart_64kb_0
large/9176/mentorbenjaminfranklin_1509_librivox_64kb_mp3/mentorbenjaminfranklin_05_hart_64kb
English
9176
Even now, after the lapse of one hundred and fifty years, we seem to gain a fresher understanding of that subject by reading his homely and beautiful explanations; and modern students would have an easier time if Franklin were still here to write their text books." EVEN NOW AFTER THE LAPSE OF ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS WE SEEM TO GAIN A FRESHER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT SUBJECT BY READING HIS HOMELY AND BEAUTIFUL EXPLANATIONS AND MODERN STUDENTS WOULD HAVE AN EASIER TIME IF FRANKLIN WERE STILL HERE TO WRITE THEIR TEXTBOOKS
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. 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. His command of language had seldom been put to better use than in explaining the rather subtle ideas and conceptions in the early development of electricity. D 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 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 HIS COMMAND OF LANGUAGE HAD SELDOM BEEN PUT TO BETTER USE THAN IN EXPLAINING THE RATHER SUBTLE IDEAS AND CONCEPTIONS IN THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRICITY
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