Benjamin Franklin Part 47

Electrical Kite

[Philadelphia] Oct. 19, 1752.

SIR,

As frequent mention is made in public papers from _Europe_ of the success of the _Philadelphia_ experiment for drawing the electric fire from clouds by means of pointed rods of iron erected on high buildings, &c., it may be agreeable to the curious to be informed, that the same experiment has succeeded in _Philadelphia_, though made in a different and more easy manner, which is as follows:

Make a small cross of two light strips of cedar, the arms so long as to reach to the four corners of a large thin silk handkerchief when extended; tie the corners of the handkerchief to the extremities of the cross, so you have the body of a kite; which being properly accommodated with a tail, loop, and string, will rise in the air, like those made of paper; but this being of silk, is fitter to bear the wet and wind of a thunder-gust without tearing. To the top of the upright stick of the cross is to be fixed a very sharp-pointed wire, rising a foot or more above the wood. To the end of the twine, next the hand, is to be tied a silk ribbon, and where the silk and twine join, a key may be fastened.

This kite is to be raised when a thunder-gust appears to be coming on, and the person who holds the string must stand within a door or window, or under some cover, so that the silk ribbon may not be wet; and care must be taken that the twine does not touch the frame of the door or window. As soon as any of the thunder-clouds come over the kite, the pointed wire will draw the electric fire from them, and the kite, with all the twine, will be electrified, and the loose filaments of the twine will stand out every way, and be attracted by an approaching finger. And when the rain has wet the kite and twine, so that it can conduct the electric fire freely, you will find it stream out plentifully from the key on the approach of your knuckle. At this key the phial may be charged; and from electric fire thus obtained, spirits may be kindled, and all the other electric experiments be performed, which are usually done by the help of a rubbed gla.s.s globe or tube, and thereby the sameness of the electric matter with that of lightning completely demonstrated.

B. FRANKLIN.

[NOTE.--The _Almanack_ for 1753 which follows is an exact facsimile of the copy in the W. S. Mason Collection, here reproduced through the kindness of Mr. Mason. See note [43].]

Transcriber's Notes: (For "Poor Richard Improved" only)

As this section is intended to be a facsimile representation of the original Poor Richards Almanack of 1753;

1. Inconsistencies in capitalization, column header names, punctuation, typography and incomplete words have all been retained.

2. Black line page borders have been omitted, page breaks are indicated for the reader as *(page break)*. A long ellipses line "--"

indicates a horizontal line across a single page dividing it into sections.

3. Where the "Hymn" and "Article" texts "skip" pages, the first word of the continued text has been retained for reference and placed in [square brackets], excepting that words originally split between pages have been joined and the next word selected as the marker word.

4. The use of planet and aspect smybols occasionally affects the alignment of table columns, therefore this section is best viewed using a monos.p.a.ce font such as "Courier New" or another with the word "mono" in it's t.i.tle.

5. Where Sun and Moon data tables were too wide to fit in this e-text format, the table has been divided into "pieces". An arrow --> indicates that the table or text immediately BELOW originally appeared to the right.

Poor =RICHARD= improved: ---------------------- =BEING AN= =ALMANACK= =AND= =_EPHEMERIS_= =OF THE= MOTIONS of the =SUN= and =MOON=; =THE TRUE= PLACES and ASPECTS of the PLANETS; =THE= =_RISING_= and =_SETTING_= of the =_SUN_=; =AND THE= Rising, Setting _and_ Southing _of the_ Moon, =FOR THE= YEAR of our =LORD= 1753: Being the First after LEAP-YEAR.

Containing also, The Lunations, Conjunctions, Eclipses, Judgment of the Weather, Rising and Setting of the Planets, Length of Days and Nights, Fairs, Courts, Roads, &c. Together with useful Tables, chronological Observations, and entertaining Remarks.

---------------------- Fitted to the Lat.i.tude of Forty Degrees, and a Meridian of near fire Hours West from _London_; but may, without sensible Error, serve all the NORTHERN COLONIES.

---------------------- By =_RICHARD SAUNDERS_=, Philom.

---------------------- ---------------------- =_PHILADELPHIA_=: Printed and Sold by =B. FRANKLIN=, and =D. HALL=.

*(page break)*

The Anatomy of Man's Body as govern'd by the Twelve Constellations.

? The Head and Face.

Arms Neck

Heart Breast [Ill.u.s.tration]

Reins Bowels

Thighs Secrets

Legs Knees ? The Feet.

_To know where the Sign is._

First Find the Day of the Month, and against the Day you have the Sign or Place of the Moon in the 5th Column.

Then finding the Sign here, it shews the Part of the Body it governs.

_The Names and Characters of the Seven Planets._

? Sol, ? Saturn, ? Jupiter, ? Mars, ? Venus, ? Mercury, ? Luna, ? Dragons Head and ? Tail.

_The Five Aspects._

? Conjunction, ? Opposition, ? s.e.xtile, ? Trine, ? Quartile.

_Common Notes for the Year 1753. N. S._

Golden Number 6 } { Dominical Letter G Epact 25 } { Cycle of the Sun 26

*(page break)*

COURTEOUS READER,

=This= is the twentieth Time of my addressing thee in this Manner, and I have reason to flatter myself my Labours have not been unacceptable to the Publick. I am particularly pleas'd to understand that my _Predictions of the Weather_ give such general Satisfaction; and indeed, such Care is taken in the Calculations, on which those Predictions are founded, that I could almost venture to say, there's not a single One of them, promising _Snow_, _Rain_, _Hail_, _Heat_, _Frost_, _Fogs_, _Wind_, or _Thunder_, but what comes to pa.s.s _punctually_ and _precisely_ on the very Day, in some Place or other on this little _diminutive_ Globe of ours; (and when you consider the vast Distance of the Stars from whence we take our Aim, you must allow it no small Degree of Exactness to hit any Part of it) I say on this Globe; for tho' in other Matters I confine the Usefulness of my _Ephemeris_ to the _Northern Colonies_, yet in that important Matter of the Weather, which is of such _general Concern_, I would have it more extensively useful, and therefore take in both Hemispheres, and all Lat.i.tudes from _Hudson's Bay_ to _Cape Horn_.

You will find this Almanack in my former Method, only conformable to the _New-Stile_ established by the Act of Parliament, which I gave you in my last at length; the new Act since made for Amendment of that first Act, not affecting us in the least, being intended only to regulate some Corporation Matters in _England_, before unprovided for. I have only added a Column in the second Page of each Month, containing the Days of the _Old Stile_ opposite to their corresponding Days in the _New_, which may, in many Cases, be of Use; and so conclude (believing you will excuse a short Preface, when it is to make Room for something better)

_Thy Friend and Servant_, =R. SAUNDERS.= ----------------------

=HYMN= _to the_ CREATOR, _from_ Psalm CIV.