the apparatus giving any sign of electricity, even although a dense
cloud, apparently charged with lightning, had passed over the spot
on which they stood. Franklin was just beginning to despair of
success, when his attention was caught by the bristling up of some
loose fibres on the hempen cord; he immediately presented his
knuckle to the key, and received an electric spark. Overcome with
the emotion {42} inspired by this decisive evidence of the great
discovery he had achieved, he heaved a deep sigh, and conscious of
an immortal name, felt that he could have been content if that
moment had been his last. The rain now fell in torrents, and wetting
the string, rendered it conducting in its whole length; so that
electric sparks were now collected from it in great abundance.

It should be noticed, however, that about a month before Franklin
had made these successful trials, some philosophers, in particular
Dalibard and De Lors, had obtained similar results in France, by
following the plan recommended by Franklin. But the glory of the
discovery is universally given to Franklin, as it was from his
suggestions that the methods of attaining it were originally
derived.

This important discovery was prosecuted with great ardour by
philosophers in every part of Europe. The first experimenters
incurred considerable risk in their attempts to draw down
electricity from the clouds, as was soon proved by the fatal
catastrophe, which, on the 6th of August, 1753, befel Professor
Richman, of Petersburg. He had constructed an apparatus for
observations on atmospherical electricity, and was attending a
meeting of the Academy of Sciences, when the sound of distant
thunder caught his ear. He immediately hastened home, taking with