OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 311 



P. Bond, and to Airy's plate apparatus, which was similar in 

 principle to such as haa been previously contrived and used 

 by Mr. Tread well and by Mr. Boyden. 



Dr. Peirson referred to an explosion of " burning-fluid," 

 which caused the death of Miss Mary F. Choate of Salem, on 

 the twenty-fourth day of last February : and read an article 

 communicated to the Salem Gazette by Dr. E. L. Peirson, which 

 contained a very particular account of the circumstances con- 

 nected with the explosion, as investigated by that gentleman 

 and himself. The disaster occurred in an unfinished pantry, 

 about ten feet long and nine feet wide ; in one corner of which, 

 on a shelf at the end of a sink, and on a level with the top of 

 it, which was three feet above the floor, there stood a can of 

 the capacity of one gallon, partly filled with " burning-fluid." 

 The can was screened in a great measure from the direct 

 heat of the stove by two water-buckets, which stood on the 

 same shelf. The mouth of the can was stopped with a plug 

 of w^hite-pine, and the nozzle with a small rag. A few sec- 

 onds before the explosion, the girl was seen pouring water 

 from the tea-kettle upon some meal with her right hand, and 

 stirring the meal with her left ; and was, without doubt, thus 

 employed, when a very loud explosion occurred, and enveloped 

 her and various other objects in the room in flames. The 

 bottom of the can was blown out and thrown to one part of 

 the room, and the body of it, with the plug still in the mouth, 

 to another. The mother did not recollect what became of the 

 nozzle. The girl survived the accident about twelve hours. 

 Dr. Peirson invited an expression of opinion respecting the 

 cause of the explosion. 



Professor Horsford stated that he had visited the scene of 

 the explosion. After illustrating with a diagram the position 

 of the various articles of furniture in the apartment where 

 the accident occurred, he remarked, " that the Salem case pre- 

 sented several difficulties, among the most important of which 

 he enumerated the following : — 



" 1. How fire could have been communicated to the mixed 



