I have lately made an Experiment in Electricity that I desire never
never to repeat. Two nights ago being about to kill a Turkey by the
Shock from two large Glass Jarrs containing as much electrical fire
as forty comon Phials, I inadvertently
took the whole thro my own Arms
& Body, by Receiving the fire from the united Top Wires with one
hand, while the other held a Chain connected with the outsides
of both Jars. The Company present (whose talking to me, &
to one another I suppose occasioned my Inattention to what I
was about) Say that the flash was very great & the Crack
as loud as a Pistol; yet my Senses of being instantly gone, I
neither saw the one nor felt heard the other; nor did I
feel the
Stroke on my hand, tho I afterwards found it raised
a round
Swelling where the fire enter'd as big as half a
Pistol Bullet
by which you may judge of the Quickness of the Electrical Fire
which by this Instance Seems to be greater than that of Sound Light
& animal Motion Sensation. What I can remember of the
matter, is,
that I was about to try whether the Bottles or Jars were fully
charged by the Strength & Length of the stream issuing to my hand
as I comonly used to do, & which I might
Safely eno have done if
I had not held the chain in ye other hand; I then felt
what I know
not how well to describe; an universal Blow thro
out my whole
Body from head to foot which seem'd within as well
as without;
after which the first thing I took notice of was a violent quick
Shaking of my body which gradually remitting, my sense as gradually
return'd, & then I thot the Bottles must be
discharged but Could not Perceive conceive
& recollected what I had been about to do how, till at last I
Perceived the Chain in my hand, & fingers, and
Recollected what I had been About to do: that part of my hand &
fingers which held the Chain was left white as tho the Blood had
been Driven Out, and Remained so 8 or 10 Minutes After, feeling
like Dead flesh, and I had a Numbness in my Arms and the back
of my Neck, which Continued till the Next Morning but
wore of. Nothing Remains now of this Shock but a
Soreness in my
breast bone, which feels As if it had been Bruised. I Did not fall
but Suppose I should have been knocked Down if I had Received the
Stroke
Stroke in my head: the whole was Over in Less then a minute
You may Communicate this to Mr. Bowdoin As A
Caution to him, but do not make it more Publick, for I am
Ashamed to have been Guilty of so Notorious a Blunder; A
match for that of the Irishman, Sister Told me of, who to Divert
his Wife pour'd the Bottle of Gun Powder on the live Coal; or of
that Other, who being About to Steal Powder, made a Hole in
the Cask with a Hott Iron;
Yrs. &c. B. Franklin
Phila. Decr.
25, 1750
The Jars hold 6 gallons each