Like most other inventions and discoveries, that of the lightning conductor was destined not to be without its early martyrs. Among the many searchers in the science of electricity on the continent of Europe who had eagerly seized the ideas of Benjamin Franklin, and entered enthusiastically upon the experiments recommended by him, was Professor George Wilhelm Richmann, of St. Petersburg. He had conceived some theories of his own regarding electrical discharges, and constructed for experimental purposes an apparatus which he called the ‘gnomon,’ one of the uses of which was to measure the comparative strength of electrical currents. The instrument consisted of a tube of metal, terminating in a small glass vessel, into which, for some unknown reason, he put a quantity of brass filings. Attached to the tube of metal, at its top, was a chain, so arranged as to be easily attached or detached from it, and this was fastened to an iron rod going to the roof, in the form of a lightning conductor, as prescribed by Franklin. It seems to have been the notion of the professor that he might lead the electrical current from the clouds down into his ‘gnomon’ bottle, there to measure its strength; though it is difficult to conceive how a man acquainted with the manifestations of the mystic force with which he was experimenting, and knowing its powerful effects, should not have perceived the extreme danger of thus leading it into a nonconducting element. However, the enthusiastic man, evidently blind to all consequences, set out on his course of experiments. A violent thunderstorm coming over St. Petersburg on August 6, 1753, Professor Richmann hurried to his ‘gnomon,’ attached the chain to the phial, and then stood to watch the effect, with not more than a foot and a half distance between his head and the glass tube. Near him, but further behind, stood a friend, M. Solokow, who was going to make a drawing of the electrical apparatus. All on a sudden, there came a terrible flash of lightning, described as ‘a ball of fire’ by M. Solokow, down from the skies, falling upon the ‘gnomon’ and springing from thence upon Professor Richmann, laid the latter dead on the floor, and his companion senseless.