There is an observation relating to electricity in the atmosphere,
which seemed new to me, though perhaps it will not to you: however,
I will venture to mention it. I have some points on the top of
my house, and the wire where it passes within-side the house is
furnished with bells, according to your method, to give notice of
the passage of the electric fluid. In summer, these bells, generally
ring at the approach of a thunder-cloud; but cease soon after it
begins to rain. In winter, they sometimes though not very often, ring
while it is snowing; but never, that I remember, when it rains. But
what was unexpected to me was, that, though the bells had not rung
while it was snowing, yet, the next day, after it had done snowing,
and the weather was cleared up, while the snow was driven about by
a high wind at W. or N. W. the bells rung for several hours (though
with little intermissions) as briskly as ever I knew them, and I drew
considerable sparks from the wire. This phenomenon I never observed
but twice; viz. on the 31st of January, 1760, and the 3d of March,
1762.