1To Benjamin Franklin from James Alexander, 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Benjamin Franklin, Experiments and Observations on Electricity (London, 1769), pp. 280–1. If I remember right, the Royal Society made one experiment to discover the velocity of the electric fire, by a wire of about four miles in length, supported by silk, and by turning it forwards and backwards in a field, so that the beginning and end of the wire were at only the distance of two...
2James Alexander to Cadwallader Colden, 9 June 1754 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: New-York Historical Society; also transcripts: Library of Congress and Harvard College Library (Sparks) I communicated yours of May 16th and 28th and my Answers to Mr. Pownal Mr. Peeters and Mr. Franklin. Before I communicated them to Mr. Pownal, he had thought of forewith building one Vessel of force and sundry small Vessels to attend her, to prevent the boarding of the larger by...