_Accounts from Carolina (mentioned in the foregoing Letter) of the
Effects of Lightning on two of the Rods commonly affixed to Houses
there, for securing them against Lightning_.
_Charlestown, Nov. 1, 1760._
"----It is some years since Mr. Raven's rod was struck by lightning.
I hear an account of it was published at the time, but I cannot find
it. According to the best information I can now get, he had fixed to
the outside of his chimney a large iron rod, several feet in length,
reaching above the chimney; and to the top of this rod the points
were fixed. From the lower end of this rod, a small brass wire was
continued down to the top of another iron rod driven into the earth.
On the ground-floor in the chimney stood a gun, leaning against the
back-wall, nearly opposite to where the brass wire came down on the
outside. The lightning fell upon the points, did no damage to the
rod they were fixed to; but the brass wire, all down till it came
opposite to the top of the gun-barrel, was destroyed[76]. There
the lightning made a hole through the wall or back of the chimney,
to get to the gun-barrel[77], down which it seems to have passed,
as, although it did not hurt the barrel, it damaged the butt of
the stock, and blew up some bricks of the hearth. The brass wire
below the hole in the wall remained good. No other damage, as I can
learn, was done to the house. I am told the same house had formerly
been struck by lightning, and much damaged, before these rods were
invented."----