Suspend a sheet of iron, five feet wide by six or seven feet long, from
the centre of one end by a cord. At the lower end, about five feet from
the ground, fasten a handle. On seizing this, and shaking the sheet so
that it shall wave in horizontal rolls from your hand upwards, the sound
of thunder will be heard, and you will say, with Gainsborough, “Our
thunder is decidedly the best.”
_Another Way._—Make a square drum-head of wood, a yard long by half as
much wide, over which you spread and firmly glue a sheet of parchment,
rather thick, wet on being put on, so as to dry very tight. Hang this
up, and, on tapping it with your fingers, the reverberation will imitate
a thunder-peal closely. Thus, in the theatre, a tap on the big drum
often serves for this purpose.