Munro, John, 1849-1930 / 2008-07-04 00:00:00

" Little instruments for lighting gas by means of the
spark are, however, made, and the noxious fumes of chemical and
lead works are condensed and laid by the discharge from the
Wimshurst machine. The electricity shed in the air causes the dust
and smoke to adhere by induction and settle in flakes upon the
sides of the flues. Perhaps the old remark that "smuts" or
"blacks" falling to the ground on a sultry day are a sign of
thunder is traceable to a similar action.
The most important practical result of the early experiments with
frictional electricity was Benjamin Franklin's great discovery of
the identity of lightning and the electric spark. One day in June,
1792, he went to the common at Philadelphia and flew a kite
beneath a thundercloud, taking care to insulate his body from the
cord. After a shower had wetted the string and made it a
conductor, he was able to draw sparks from it with a key and to
charge a Leyden jar. The man who had "robbed Jupiter of his
thunderbolts" became celebrated throughout the world, and
lightning rods or conductors for the protection of life and
property were soon brought out.
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