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Near the same time, that the mischief was done to St. Bride's church, the mast of his Majesty's ship Ramaillies, lying at Chatham, was split and torn to pieces by the lightening. This is the less extraordinary, as, from its height, figure, and constituent parts, the mast of a ship stops the progress of lightening much more than edifices of the same height, made of brick or stone. This therefore seems to require particular attention; but upon this head I fully explained myself in my letter to the late Lord Anson [1], and shall therefore decline saying any thing further of it in this place.
I flatter myself, that what has here lately happened will tend to occasion the applying of an apparatus of this sort to all buildings, at least, of value and extent. No steeple should certainly be without it; and in most, if the iron work of the weather-cock can be easily got at, it may be adapted with very little trouble or expence. It is only necessary to make a metallic communication between this iron work and the lead, which carries off the water. This frequently reaches to the ground or very near it. From the bottom of this, the metallic communication should continue to the nearest water, or at least to very moist ground; though where it can be procured, water should be preferred. Care must be taken likewise, that metallic communications be added to such parts of the lead, which serve to convey the water from the top, as do not already touch or come near each other. And these may be either of lead, or of copper wire, such as I have before mentioned. In thunder storms attended with rain, sufficient in quan-
