Sellers.] """ [Feb. 19, 



vessel came around without shipping any water, and kept perfectly dry 

 while lying to. 



Captain J. E. Lewis, master of schooner Lawrence Haines, reports that 

 he used oil when hove to in a terrible N. N. E. gale off Hatteras, on Decem- 

 ber 26th and 27th ; force of wind from fifty to sixty miles per hour. He 

 put over three bags containing oakum and oil ; one forward, one att, and 

 one amidships, and hanging so as to dip as the vessel rolled. Oil used, 

 mixture of linseed, tar and kerosene oil. The bags were used thirty hours, 

 and three gallons of the mixture were expended. He claims that his ves- 

 sel was saved by the use of oil. 



Captain E. L. Arey, of the schooner Jennie A. Cheney, writes: "I used 

 oil with very satisfactory results during the late severe hurricane of the 

 25th of August, in latitude 31° N., longitude 79° W. The wind having 

 carried away the mainsail, I bent a storm trysail, and continued under that 

 sail until it also blew away. During the time, the vessel was shipping 

 large quantities of water, the sea being very irregular, nearly every one 

 breaking. After the sails were blown away, finding it necessary to do 

 something to save the ship and crew, I took a small canvas bag and 

 turned about five gallons of linseed oil into it, and hung it over the star- 

 board quarter. The wash of the sea caused a little of the oil to leak out, 

 and smoothed the surface, so that lor ten hours no water broke aboard. I 

 consider that the oil used, during the last and heaviest part of the hurri- 

 cane, saved vessel and crew." 



An Obituary Notice of the Late George Whitney. By William Sellers. 

 (Mead before the American Philosophical Society, February 19, 1886.) 



The subject of this memoir was born in Brownville, New York State, 

 October 17th, 1819. He was educated at the Albany Academy, Albany, 

 U", Y„ where he distinguished himself by his quickness of perception and 

 aptitude for learning, which enabled him to carry off the honors of his class 

 in successive competitive examinations and to obtain a large share of the 

 prizes given each term. 



At an early age George Whitney developed a decided preference for 

 Studies in natural philosophy, drawing and mechanics. In 1832 his father, 

 Mr. Asa Whitney, was appointed Superintendent of the Mohawk and 

 Hudson River Railroad, one of the earliest steam roads in this country, and 

 his son George availed himself, on all holiday occasions, of the opportunity 

 thus presented of acquiring familiarity with the mechanism of the engines 

 and the practical operation of the road. 



As a draughtsman, George Whitney was equaled by few, and his beauti- 

 ful drawings of some of the first English locomotives sent to America 



