Part 58

“Dear Sir,

“I just redeem a moment, before the closing of the mail, to inform you, that Dr. Rittenhouse’s Orrery cost at first 300l. Pennsylvania currency. It was his own moderate price, and immediately paid him by Dr. Witherspoon, on behalf of the College.

“The Orrery was very much injured during the revolutionary war: but has been since partly repaired by a gentleman in your city, who formerly worked with Dr. Rittenhouse, and under his direction, in its fabrication. The injuries which it received were comparatively small, by the British soldiery. A guard was set to protect it: and the officers were said to be contemplating its removal to England; this, at least, was the general report and opinion. The principal injury was produced by our own militia, when the college was appropriated as a barrack for them. Many of the wheels were seen to be taken off, as handsome curiosities. This, however, was no more than was to be expected from a number of ignorant men, so imperfectly disciplined as, at that time, they were.”

“I am, dear Sir, Your friend and very humble serv’t. SAMUEL S. SMITH.”

Footnote 239a:

The Rev. Ashbel Green, D. D. of Philadelphia, has since been appointed to the Presidentship of the College at Princeton, on the resignation of Dr. Smith.

Footnote 239b:

The President of the College.

Footnote 239c:

Mr. Henry Voight.

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On the first day of January, 1790, Dr. Rittenhouse was elected one of the Vice-presidents of the American Philosophical Society; his colleagues, in this office, being the Rev. William Smith, D. D. and John Ewing, D. D. both of them able and distinguished astronomers.

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Footnote 240:

It was in the autumn of this year that the second (and youngest surviving) daughter of Dr. Rittenhouse was married to the late Nicholas Baker Waters, M. D. of Philadelphia.

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This appointment he held but one year; in consequence of the death of Dr. Franklin, on the 17th day of April following.

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Footnote 241:

A very eloquent and interesting Oration on this occasion, being an eulogium on Dr. Franklin, was delivered on the 1st of March, 1791, before the American Philosophical Society and agreeably to their appointment, by the Rev. William Smith, D. D. then one of the vice-presidents of the society; for which the orator received their unanimous thanks.

In a note addressed to the public by Dr. Smith, and prefixed to this eulogium in the first volume of his works, the Doctor acknowledges the assistance derived by him, in its composition, “from the friendly communications of some of his learned colleagues, among the officers of the American Philosophical Society:” viz. David Rittenhouse, Esq. LL.D. President of the Society; Thomas Jefferson, Esq. LL.D. one of the Vice-Presidents; Jonathan Williams, Esq. one of the Secretaries; and Benjamin Rush, M. D. one of the Council. To Dr. Rittenhouse, he makes his acknowledgements, “for sundry papers, which have been digested into the account of Dr. Franklin’s Electrical and Philosophical Discoveries;” which occupy six or seven pages of the printed eulogium.

Dr. Rittenhouse was well acquainted with the principles of Electricity; at least, so far as they appear to be hitherto understood. It is believed that, pretty early in life, he acquired a knowledge of this branch of science; which he occasionally cultivated afterwards. A letter written by Dr. Franklin to Mr. Landriani, on the utility of electric conductors, will serve to shew, that “our astronomer” (as Franklin styled him) had employed the instrumentality of his “telescope,” in observing some of the effects of lightning. This letter, which is dated “Philadelphia, Oct. 14, 1787”, is in these words:

“I have received, sir, your excellent dissertation on the utility of electric conductors which you have had the goodness to send me, and I have read it with much pleasure. I beg leave to return you my sincere thanks for it.

“I found, on my return to this country, that the number of conductors was much increased, the utility of them having been demonstrated by several experiments, which shewed their efficacy in preserving buildings from lightning. Among other examples, my own house one day received a severe shock from lightning: the neighbours perceived it, and immediately hastened to give assistance, in case it should be on fire; but it sustained no damage: they found only the family much frightened by the violence of the explosion.

“Last year, when I was making some addition to the building, it was necessary to take down the conductor: I found, upon examination, that its copper-point, which was nine inches in length and about one third of an inch in diameter in the thickest part, had been almost entirely melted, and very little of it remained fixed to the iron rod. This invention, therefore, has been of some utility to the inventor; and to this advantage is added, the pleasure of having been useful to others.

“Mr. Rittenhauss, our astronomer, has informed me, that having observed with his excellent telescope several conductors which were within his view, he perceived that the points of a certain number of them had been in like manner melted. There is no instance where a house furnished with a complete conductor has suffered any considerable damage; and those even which had none have been very little injured, since conductors have become common in the city.”

Footnote 241a:

So written by Dr. Franklin.